FOX23 News – WXXA
Albany, NY
http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story/Blocking-Action/WPPdXNqy7UW5gGafgbdRNQ.cspx
With just two weeks left in the legislative session, many issues were still waiting to be resolved. Some of those issues include healthcare, housing reform and same sex marriage, just to name a few. But now, with all these changes, some New Yorkers and the Governor are afraid nothing will get done.
“Our vote, we’re taking it back,” chanted hundreds of protestors camped outside Senator Pedro Espada Jr.’s office today. Their chants said that yesterdays actions were a game to block any legislative progress during the last two weeks of this years session.
“We are outraged that these guys think they have the right to play politics with our futures,” said Karen Scharff, the Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York.
Some of the issues on the table include education reform, the Rockefeller drug laws and healthcare reform.
On the other side of the Capitol, some protestors expressed joy. They see yesterdays Coup as an end to the same sex marriage bill.
“With all this turmoil, right now, there’s no way this bill could come to the floor,” said Rev. Jason McGuire, the Legislative Director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms.
Now the question is, what will and can get done. Governor David Paterson said today that he’s afraid the answer is nothing.
“There are issues that are important to other people and we’re not doing it right now and we’re not doing it because of this intervention,” said Governor Paterson.
But New York State Senators Espada and Hiram Monserrate said this isn’t the end. They said they are committed to turning this reform into action.
“I’m calling on all the senators to be to prepared to be here longer than we expected because we should not being looking at the 22nd for the end of the session, we should be looking at dealing with the issues,” said Senator Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens).
“I don’t think anything has been killed, I think that we have been reborn, I think that we have been revitalized and like nature itself we are in full bloom now,” said Senator Pedro Espada Jr. (D-Bronx).
We also spoke with Senator Malcolm Smith’s Press Secretary. He said that no matter what happens, Senator Smith and the other Democrats are also committed to getting back to work.
