Judge Orders Full Senate To Meet Tomorrow

A judge ordered the full Senate to convene in Albany tomorrow morning, a possible first step to ending the three-week circus upstate.

Judge Joseph Teresi also ruled the Assembly back to session to pass companion legislation if necessary.

Teresi said failure to come together would be “rude, inconsiderate and egotistical.”

Gov. David Paterson has been trying to force the Democrats and a Republican-led coalition to pass bonding, taxing and other measures set to expire shortly. He says neither faction alone can seat a quorum needed to act. Both sides have been answering Paterson’s order by meeting separately and conducting no official business since the governor called for the first special session a week ago. The factions are deadlocked 31-31 in a dispute over which has majority control. Negotiations over sharing power have failed so far.

Before Teresi ruled this afternoon, two other state judges had declined to intervene in the dispute. Asked to determine which group rightfully elected the Senate’s presiding officer, both said that under the state constitution, it’s up to the senators to sort out their own affairs.

(Source: NBC New York) (Taken almost entirely from: Yeshiva World News)