The first political fundraiser invitation of the season has arrived via snail-mail, 5 weeks before the 2013-14 legislative session even starts.
Month: December 2012
Cuomo’s Litmus Test
Gov. Cuomo lays out his 10-point litmus test for the new Senate “leadership.” Microstamping is not mentioned.
Micorstamping reintroduced
The microstamping bill has been pre-filed in the Senate for the 2013-14 session as S-68 by Jose Peralta.
Peralta has declared his intention to run for Queens Boro President next year. He seems to think that pushing gun control will help his campaign:
“… As the Democratic minority whip, Peralta focused on getting the party in line on same-sex marriage last year. Now he is turning his attention to gun control. Peralta has been advocating for many months for the microstamping of bullets, which would imprint markings on a bullet allowing law enforcement to trace the gun from which the bullet was fired …”
Microstamping not progressive
The so-called Independent Democratic Conference announced their “progressive” agenda items.
Microstamping is not mentioned.
Espaillat on microstamping
Lots of funny shit going on behind the scenes and some Democrats are screaming. God knows what this means for us:
INBOX: Espaillat (mentioned as possible Senate Dem leader) does not condemn #GOPIDC, calls for “progressive” bills to be taken up. #nysenate
— Capital Tonight (@CapitalTonight) December 4, 2012
State Sen. Adriano Espaillat puts out statement urging GOP/IDC partnership to put min wage, Dream Fund, microstamping bills to a vote.
— Jon Campbell (@JonCampbellGAN) December 4, 2012
Notice how quiet both Cuomo and Silver have been lately. That cannot be a coincidence.
Coalition government
I have no idea how this will affect microstamping and other antigun legislation in the upper house:
Skelos and Klein announce an “historic bipartisan partnership to continue the tremendous progress achieved over the past two years”
— Legislative Gazette (@AlbanyLG) December 4, 2012
Sens Klein & Skelos will assume roles of “Conference Leader,” will have “joint and equal” control over active list, agenda, appointments.
— Capital Tonight (@CapitalTonight) December 4, 2012
You can’t make this stuff up
On the ongoing chaos in the State Senate:
- Libous “Would Love Very Much to See” a Senate Coalition – “Regardless of the outcome of a too-close-to-call race in the 46th Senate District, Sen. Thomas Libous said Republicans are still open to forming a “coalition government” with a breakaway caucus of Democrats …”
- View of ballots good sign for GOP – “A judge said he was “inclined” to hear the legal arguments behind the mostly Republican-brought challenges to absentee and affidavit ballots that will decide the winner in the 46th state Senate District …”
- Liz Krueger blasts GOP ‘contempt for democracy’ – “… State Senate Republicans are intentionally stalling vote-counting in two State Senate districts with bad-faith challenges to legitimate votes, to prevent two duly-elected Democratic senators from being seated in the State Senate. They believe this would allow them to seize power in January and use that power to make deals and buy the loyalty of additional senators …”
- Dem Smith to join GOP coalition – “Queens Democrat Malcolm Smith is joining forces with Republicans in a new coalition to run the fractured state Senate, the Post has learned. In a stunning move, Smith, the former Senate majority leader, will join the Independent Democratic Caucus, which includes four other renegades who will help keep the GOP in charge …”
- Court papers filed in Amedore-Tkaczyk fight – “As I reported this morning, attorneys for Republican Assemblyman George Amedore and Duanesburg Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk will face off in court today over which of 877 absentee ballots in a close state Senate race should be counted. Republicans objected to most of these ballots — roughly 680 — and a number of the challenges had to do with voter residency. Challenges were also lodged based on incomplete applications for ballots …”