New York takes legislative gridlock to next level

Leaders of the Republican takeover claimed to be acting in the name of reform and good government, which makes for an interesting choice of allies. One of the defectors, Sen. Hiram Monserrate of Queens, faces trial on charges of slashing his girlfriend in the face with a broken glass. He is back with fellow Democrats, expressing satisfaction after they replaced their leader following his short GOP fling.

The other, Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx, has been fined tens of thousand of dollars for campaign finance violations and is being investigated by state and local authorities in connection with a nonprofit he ran and questions about whether he lives in his district. Republicans have made the freshman lawmaker one of their leaders.

"It's about power, money and status. Primarily money," Lachman said of the political maneuvering, noting the benefits that flow to the majority party, including bigger staffs, more state funds to shower on supporters and a greater ability to raise campaign cash. (Democrats remain in firm control of the Assembly, which they have run for decades.)

By now, lawmakers have settled into a routine: They respond to the governor's summons by milling about the Senate chamber for a few minutes -- Democrats on one side, Republicans on the other -- then adjourning. Even the public seems weary of the spectacle; by last week there were plenty of empty seats in the once-crowded Senate viewing gallery.

Unlike California, New York passed a budget by the start of its fiscal year, April 1. Still, the stalemate has not been without consequence. As of Wednesday, many cities lost authority to conduct routine operations, including issuing bonds, mailing tax notices and collecting certain operational fees. In New York City, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg scrambled to reconstitute the Board of Education after a deadline passed to extend his authority over the school system.

Lawmakers have gone to court, but a judge said it would be "improper" to meddle in Senate business. That leaves legislators to sort out the mess, and, as some of them see it, things could be worse. Take California.

"We're not looking at issuing IOUs to keep the government afloat," said Sen. Eric T. Schneiderman, a Democrat from Manhattan. California has "structural problems that are far worse than what we've got. We've got a political problem that we will resolve."

"In a matter of days," he said he hoped. "Certainly in a matter of weeks."

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mark.barabak@latimes.com

richard.simon@latimes.com