Politics on the Hudson

A state Supreme Court judge this afternoon refused to rule on whether last week’s Senate coup was legal, saying that the state Constitution leaves it to the Senate to decide its own leadership.

“Courts may well be suited to analyzing such a question and providing a reasoned objective conclusion,” Judge Thomas McNamara wrote in his decision. “Nonetheless, a judicially imposed resolution would be an improvident intrusion into the internal workings of a co-equal branch of government.”

Lawyers for Senate Democrats said they will appeal the ruling to the state appeals court today. Republicans hailed the decision, contending that the June 8 vote by the GOP and two dissident Democrats to oust the Democratic leadership was legal.

Democrats claim the vote was illegal and instead are seeking a power-sharing agreement after the parties are split 31-31 in the 62-member chamber.

Gov. David Paterson is asking the sides to agree to a “stipulated session” where the parties would pass non-controversial legislation that is critical to government, such as extenders of local sales taxes.

“I’m getting calls from leaders all around the state who are anxious that if there isn’t immediate action that it actually hurts the financial stability of their governments,” Paterson told reporters.