County Executives make trip to Albany demanding action of their senators

By By MIKE LaFAVE

Story Created: Jun 30, 2009 at 5:25 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jun 30, 2009 at 5:25 PM EDT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WKTV) - Another day passes and another chapter unfolds - the State Senate power struggle has paralyzed the Senate for three weeks.

Senate democrats have begun voting on a host of bills and declaring them passed, after claiming that a Republican lawmaker, walking through the chamber, gave them the required quorum.

Senator Frank Padavan, a queens Republican, acknowledges he walked through the chamber because the Senate parlor had been blocked off. But he says the Democrats' claim a quorum is a fraud.

A Republican-led coup on June 8 split the Senate 31-31.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente made the trip out to the state capital Tuesday to join a chorus of executives demanding action.

"People are disgusted," Picente said. "People want their senators to do the job, all of them, all 62 no matter the party. In terms of an upstate county that has seen its unemployment rate rise, its jobless rate grow. There is sales tax that sits before them - it needs to pass, so I don't have to raise property taxes 20 or 30 percent."

A judge ordered GOP senators into the special session to deal with important legislation, including extensions of several measures set to expire at midnight Tuesday.

Republicans have appealed that order.
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