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Governor Cautious About Giuliani's Proposed Constitutional Convention For NY Senate Standoff
June 25, 2009 1:58 p.m. EST
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Kris Alingod - AHN Contributor
Albany, NY (AHN) - New York Gov. David Paterson on Thursday commended former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's proposal for a constitutional convention to resolve the stalemate in the state Senate. The 2009 legislative session ended this week with the Democrats and Republicans still in an impasse as to who has the majority after a GOP coup that ended with the balance of power at 31-31.
State senators held a special session on Wednesday under orders from the governor, who has chastised lawmakers for failing to act on key bills such as same-sex marriage measure before the legislative session ended on Monday. But the session did not do anything to resolve the power struggle, with many lawmakers boycotting.
Paterson had hoped to end the standoff early this week, requesting former Lt. Gov. Stan Lundine and former State Sen. John Dunne as mediators. But his efforts, as well as a stern warning about special sessions even on weekends and holidays including July 4th, apparently weren't enough to bring state Democrats and Republicans to compromise.
On June 8, state Sens. Pedro Espada Jr. and Hiram Monserrate, both Democrats, had joined a GOP coup, unseating then-Majority Leader Malcom Smith, who until that time led a fragile 32-30 majority. Monserrate later decided to return to Democrats, causing chaos in the chamber.
The disagreement stems from whether the coup and subsequent vote by the chamber to install Espada as state Senate president and state Sen. Dean Skelos, head of the Republican conference, as majority leader are valid.
State Supreme Court Judge Thomas McNamara heard arguments from both sides last week but refused to issue a ruling favoring either party and instead told them to try to reach a compromise.
The lieutenant governor has the power to vote in case of such a standoff, but New York currently has no such official since Paterson left his post last year as lieutenant governor after Eliot Spitzer resigned amid a prostitution scandal.
Giuliani, a 2008 Republican White House hopeful who is reported to be planning a bid for governor next year, made his proposal for a constitutional convention in an op-ed in the New York Times on Wednesday.
"Over the course of New York's history, our state has held seven constitutional conventions, one as recently as 1967," Giuliani said. "Calling another convention would be an extraordinary step, but it is a necessary and effective way to overcome the challenges we face. It would be an opportunity for Republicans, Democrats and independents to come together, take a long hard look at our problems and then propose real, lasting solutions."
His op-ed was carried by the state GOP in its website, but New York Democratic Party chair June O'Neill accused Giuliani of "grandstanding."
"Rather than offering any viable recommendations to bring an end to the gridlock in Albany, Rudy Giuliani chooses to use the situation to lay out his multi-year campaign agenda." O'Neill said in a statement. "While the Governor is working for all new Yorkers toward those priorities, Rudy is busy penning self-serving op-eds."
State Republican Party head Joe Mondello has responded by saying, "If the Democrat leaders have legitimate concerns beyond their own shallow quest to hang on to power, they should agree to binding arbitration by an impartial third party."
"If they are unwilling to even take that step, they should agree to the fair, comprehensive and detailed power sharing operating proposal-wisely proposed by Senate Republicans- which would enable the Senate to function in an equitable fashion and do the people's business," Mondello added.
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