The Embarrassment in Albany

As a relentlessly snobby New Yorker, I often tease my fellow organizers about their home states and the ridiculous conservative shenanigans with which they have to deal. Now it is my turn to be embarrassed--my beloved state is in the middle of a mess, thanks to the absurdly juvenile State Senate and our bumbling governor, who can't seem to get a handle on this situation.

In last November's election the Democrats gained a slim lead (32-30) over their Republican counterparts for the first time in decades. Malcolm Smith was declared the the new Senate majority leader after a some unhappy state senators played a game of chicken imbued with racial tension. Seven months later, two of those senators switched parties, giving the GOP the majority. One, Pedro Espada, was elected Senate president, a sweet reward for changing sides. The other, Hiram Monseratte (who, I might mention, was recently indicted for assaulting his girlfriend--could this be more of a soap opera??), quickly flipped back to the Democratic side a few days later.

Now the senate is stuck at 31-31. The NYS constitution accounts for this kind of a tie situation; normally, the lieutenant governor would cast the deciding vote. BUT (and here is where it just gets laughable), we have no lieutenant governor! When former Lt. Governor David Paterson became governor of New York after Elliot Spitzer's resignation, no one replaced him.

So now we are stuck in a pickle, with the senators squabbling and no end in sight. The repercussions of their silliness are incredibly serious:

• New York, like every other state, is facing intense budget concerns. Education, roads, medicaid, public transit--all of these necessities are in serious danger, even without the hijinks in Albany.
  
• The State Assembly recently passed a bill legalizing same sex marriage. Marriage advocates are still waiting for the Senate to bring the bill up for a vote. In the meantime, gay and lesbian New Yorkers are being denied their full rights.
• Finally, the Reproductive Health Act was scheduled to be voted on this week. This bill would guarantee the legal right to an abortion in New York State; essentially codifying Roe v. Wade into law, thirty six years after the fact. The current mess has delayed the vote indefinitely, ultimately harming New York women.

So please, New York State Senate: get it together.

Photo credit NYT