The New York State Senate continues to act like a chamber of kindergartners.
The Senate, which has spent the last few weeks squabbling over who should preside was finally ordered by a judge to meet. The Senate is currently deadlocked 31-31 between Democrats and Republicans. Neither side can agree on who should preside, so they choose to remain apart in the chambers, thus preventing a quorum from occurring. Although the judge’s order brought the two sides together, they immediately adjourned. So much for respecting the judicial branch.
Later, a Republican senator, Frank Padavan, strolled past the Democrats on his way to get a Coke because the media was blocking the other exit. The Democrats pounced on his presence and declared they had a quorum. Padavan called using his presence for a quorum a “fraud.” Afterwards, the Democrats passed several bills, but Governor David Patterson said he would not sign them under these circumstances.
