ALBANY—Move another vote into the yes column on same-sex marriage.
Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson said she will support the measure, having been previously counted as uncommitted.
She revealed she has a gay brother, who was shunned by her family–her mother is a preacher–and moved to France. Hassell-Thompson only later in life, after a long Read More
Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat is also calling for State Senator Hiram Monserrate to resign, but said it is a “point of weakness” that the Inquisition Panel formed last week to ponder charges against him contains no Latino members.
“Given what has happened, Senator Monserrate is no longer able to effectively serve his constituents, or the Read More
In an upstairs conference room at 250 Broadway this afternoon, Senate Majority Leader John Sampson somberly, but forcefully, defended his plan to commission a nine-person committee–with a Democratic majority–to consider the case of convicted Senator Hiram Monserrate.
“Violence against women is simply unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Sampson. “It has no place in Read More
ALBANY—We'll take your vote, Hiram, but don't look for a hug.
"We basically were trapped in our need to get to 31-31 at this point in time," State Senator Liz Krueger said of the decision to welcome (force?) State Senator Hiram Monserrate, an indicted Queens Democrat, back into the conference a week Read More
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said after meeting with undecided state lawmaker she feels “very optimistic” that same-sex marriage legislation will eventually pass.
In a brief telephone interview on her way back from Albany, Quinn told me she met with Democratic Senators Ruth Hassell-Thompson of the Bronx and George Onorato of Queens, Republican State Read More
ALBANY—The State Senate has distributed a draft copy of its M.T.A. bailout bill, and a spokesman said staffers plan to introduce it later today.
I obtained a copy early, and one thing that jumped out as an extra detail above the framework revealed Monday is the exact structure of the payroll tax: It Read More
ALBANY—At this rate, the State Senate might not finish today.
The chamber is hearing the third of nine bills comprising the state budget, and after two hours Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein moved to close debate. Senators have spent the last forty minutes debating whether to do that.
"I am deeply concerned with this Read More
ALBANY—State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson was on the chamber floor, for a moment, to record her vote affirmatively for the eight remaining bills comprising the state budget.
Majority Leader Malcolm Smith and Minority Leader Dean Skelos agreed by unanimous consent to open the rolls to allow Hassell-Thompson to vote yes on all of the budget Read More
ALBANY—The State Senate is leaving the building.
"The leader has sent Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson to the hospital, and we're adjourning until 9 a.m. tomorrow," Senate Democratic spokesman Austin Shafran said in a statement. "We have every expectation that the senator will be back tomorrow, but our only concern is for her health."
Ruben Diaz Read More
ALBANY—State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson is being taken back to the hospital, senate sources including a Democratic lawmaker confirm.
The Senate currently stands at ease. There is no word on when it will return to session and how this will affect ongoing budget votes.
