NY Gov Paterson: May Use State Police To Force Senators Into Action

[FrankRep]

NY Gov Paterson: May Use State Police To Force Senators Into Action...

CBS
Jun 22, 2009

...

"If the Senators do not cooperate with this order, I will convene a special session everyday until they do," Paterson said. "That includes Saturdays and Sundays, that includes Fourth of July. There will be no excuses, and there will be no tolerance to non-compliance to this order."

While the governor can't force senators to vote on or debate bills, the state constitution grants him the power to call a special legislative session – and experts say he can even keep the senators in the state house with the help of state police.

"I think, at the extreme, he does have the power to call them in, and use the power of the police to bring them in, to get them all in the same room," state constitution expert Richard Briffault says.

But the governor can't do much more beyond that.

"The governor has the power to propose, to give them an agenda, and to make them look at it," Briffault says. "But he has no power to make them take any action."
...

Full Story:
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/senate.paterson.albany.2.1053517.html

[sluggo]

I'm assuming this is the same situation that involved ACORN members attacking and spitting on a Republican senator.......




ALBANY - Protesters closely aligned with Democrats nearly knocked a Republican senator to the floor and spit in the face of his chief of staff.


Sen. James Alesi, of Monroe County, walked out of the chamber later today, not seriously harmed. He said he was disturbed by the crowd of at least 150 people, including those from Citizen Action and ACORN - the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

Both groups deny their supporters spat on anyone, saying they were protesting the coalition of Republicans and two dissident Democrats who claim to have taken power of the Senate.

Republican Sen. George H. Winner Jr., of Elmira, blames Angelo Aponte, secretary of the Senate, for not preventing the protest. Winner says Aponte violated chamber rules by allowing it to go on.


http://www.stargazette.com/article/20090611/NEWS01/90611036/Winner++Secretary+of+Senate+violated+rules#pluckco mments (http://www.stargazette.com/article/20090611/NEWS01/90611036/Winner++Secretary+of+Senate+violated+rules#pluckco mments)

[FrankRep]

I'm assuming this is the same situation that involved ACORN members attacking and spitting on a Republican senator.......

http://www.stargazette.com/article/20090611/NEWS01/90611036/Winner++Secretary+of+Senate+violated+rules#pluckco mments (http://www.stargazette.com/article/20090611/NEWS01/90611036/Winner++Secretary+of+Senate+violated+rules#pluckco mments)

Oh damn. My article didn't talk about this.