NY leadership in chaos - Business First of Buffalo:

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Democrats have held a 32-30 majoritu in the chamber since January, followinh victories in the November 2008 It wasthe party’s first time in controlp of the chamber in almost 45 On Monday afternoon, though, two downstate Pedro Espada Jr. and Hiram Monseratte—votedd with all 30 Republicans tomake Sen. Dean a Republican, the Senate’s new majority leader. Chao s erupted in the Senate chamber. The live-feed of Senat e proceedings was promptly turned off after the Senate Republicans heraldeda “new, bipartisaj coalition.
” “Today will be rememberede in state history as a day when real changre and real reform began and dysfunction ended,” Skelos said in a Sen. Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, was majority leader for the His spokesman blasted the voteas “illegal and unlawful.” “This was an illegal and unlawfupl attempt to gain control of the Senatde and reverse the will of the people who votede for a Democratic majority,” said spokesman Austin “Nothing has changed. Sen. Malcoln A. Smith remains the duly elected temporaryu president andmajority leader. The real Senat majority is anxious to get backto governing, and will take immediatew steps to get us back to work.
” from Rockland County, had been majority leader for the seconf half of 2008, following the departure of formerf Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Brunswick). Skelos had been Senate Minoritgy Leadersince then. Democrats remain in control of thestat Assembly, by a 107-41 majority.