That theoretical idea Citizens Union put out there the other day on breaking the senate deadlock? According to the Times‘ Jeremy Peters, not so theoretical anymore:
Gov. David A. Paterson will name Richard Ravitch, a former chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, as lieutenant governor in a televised speech he has scheduled for late Wednesday afternoon, according to an administration official.
This is certain to end up in court, as there’s disagreement on whether the law actually allows Governor Paterson to do this. Anyway you slice it though, it’s definitely a big move, and it shows that the governor, like the Senate Dems, really does want to end this insane drama.
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“It would guarantee a line of succession should something happen to the governor, and it would give the Senate a presiding officer to help get it out of the quagmire it’s been in for the last month,” [Assemblyman Michael] Gianaris said.
But State Senator Diane J. Savino, a Democrat from Staten Island, said a lieutenant governor could only resolve part of the gridlock the Senate is now trying to overcome.
“It won’t change the fact that we won’t have a quorum to do business, and we’ll still be split in half on everything,” she said.
We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it…?
wow…looks like things fell into place rather quickly once he did.