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Senate Dems walk out over redistricting
His Republican allies in the Senate, who faced oblivion just two years ago, scored major wins to give the party a powerful, longer life in the increasingly blue state.
The all-night session of the legislature left bitter feelings between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, after Democrats stormed out in protest over the middle of the night redistricting vote. Martha Foley has more.
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Senate Democrats charge the new district lines were drawn to benefit majority Republicans.
They left angrily during the debate and boycotted votes on other issues, like the DNA database expansion and pension reform.
Senator Dan Squadron, a Democrat, said the Republicans violated the state constitution, saying they didn’t have a quorum for the votes;
The Senate Republicans again and again stifled debate and turned democary into a game.
But Senate majority leader Dean Skelos said only a simple majority was needed for those votes, and that the Democrats were being childish. He said their boycott violated senate rules:
It’s really contempt of the senate if you don’t vote…you’re required to vote and they just walked out like little children.
Senate Democrats say they’re challenging the new lines in court.
