by Karl Kurtz
The on-again-off-again deal among New York Senate Democrats (see "New York Senate Leadership Deal Falls Through"), who hold a two-vote margin over Republicans but have had three dissident members who have held up organization of the Senate, is back on again. Sen. Malcolm Smith (on left in photo with Gov. David Paterson) was today elected majority leader (the power position in the Senate) on a voice vote. The previous majority leader, Sen. Dean Skelos, becomes the minority leader.
Sen. Smith's acceptance speech included this pledge to change the management of the Senate:
This morning we created a new committee on rules and administration - a bi-partisan commission - to review the full Senate Rules and adopt a process for greater transparency that allows greater public input into our legislative process, as well as provides for greater authority for individual members. The commission will report back to us no later than the end of September.
Imagine a fully functioning legislature where Senate committees function like real committees, where members debate and even amend bills in the committee, where members of the Majority and Minority introduce bills onto the floor for a vote, and those votes are recorded. And, where budget conference committees and individual members are able to negotiate final bills with their Assembly counterparts.
Sen. Smith's election brings the number of African-Americans serving as the top leaders in their state legislative chambers to five.
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