New York Adult Entertainment: Paterson Appoints Lt. Gov. To Break NY Senate Standoff …
Paterson Appoints Lt. Gov. To Break NY Senate Standoff; Republicans Tout Court Order
July 9, 2009 1:05 p.m. EST
Kris Alingod – AHN Contributor
Albany, NY (AHN) – Seeking to resolve the month-long impasse in the state Senate, New York Gov. David Paterson Wednesday night appointed a lieutenant governor in move that even some Democrats say may be unconstitutional. But Republican senators claim the appointment has been suspended by a court order.
The lieutenant governor has the power to vote in case of a parliamentary standoff, but New York has no such official since Paterson left as lieutenant governor last year as after Eliot Spitzer resigned amid a prostitution scandal.
Paterson announced in a speech Wednesday night that he was appointing 76-year-old Richard Ravitch, former chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Urban Development Corporation. He said Ravitch would serve until his own term expires in 2010, but assured New Yorkers that his appointee will not be a candidate thereafter.
See the full article from “AHN”