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The 2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis was a political dispute in New York that began on June 8, 2009. The State Senate was controlled by Democrats with a 32-30 majority, when a bipartisan coalition of all 30 Republicans and two Democrats, Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada Jr., voted to replace the Majority Leader and Temporary President of the Senate. Senate Democrats attempted to block the change, but it was uncertain whether they were successful, or if the Republicans had legally changed the Senate leadership. The coalition appeared to have gained control in a move that was described as a political coup. However, on June 15, Monserrate left the coalition and returned to the Democrats' side. The result was a 31-31 tie in the Senate, with no clear Senate president, and, due to the vacancy of the Lieutenant Governor's office, no apparent way to break the deadlock.〔After a scandal the previous Governor, Eliot Spitzer, resigned. Paterson was the Lieutenant Governor and assumed the higher office, leaving the vacancy.〕 Governor David Paterson attempted to force the Senate into action by withholding the Senators' salary and convening mandatory special Senate sessions, but the Senate remained deadlocked. On July 8, Governor Paterson appointed Richard Ravitch as Lieutenant Governor in an effort to break the deadlock. However, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo argued that the appointment was illegal. The next day, Espada announced that he was returning to the Democrats, giving them a 32-30 majority once more, and effectively ending the crisis. The appointment of Ravitch was eventually upheld by the New York Court of Appeals. ==Background and leadup== The State Senate had been controlled by Republicans since 1964, but Democrats were able to win a majority in the 2008 elections. The change was helped by upstate Republican billionaire Tom Golisano, who had donated $5 million to the Democrats' campaigns. However, dissatisfaction with the job that Majority Leader Malcolm Smith was doing was growing with his fellow Democrats, as well as with Golisano.〔 Golisano, with the aid of his political adviser Steve Pigeon, set up a series of private meetings between Republican senators Dean Skelos, Tom Libous, and George D. Maziarz, and after Pigeon convinced him, Democratic senator Pedro Espada Jr. The first meeting took place at a club in Albany, followed by one at Golisano's house in Rochester, followed by a series at Espada's house in Albany. Espada said that Senator Monserrate was the only one among his fellow Democrats that knew of the meetings. Roger Stone, Republican strategist and political infighter may have been involved in the discussions, and according to Pigeon, knew about the plan in advance.〔 Golisano, who recently moved to Florida, did not take part in the meetings at Espada's house, but was kept informed by Pigeon. On June 4, Pigeon told Golisano that the deal "was real solid," and on June 8, Golisano was in Albany to watch the events unfold from the Senate chamber balcony.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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