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ALBANY — After Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver found himself facing a federal judge on corruption charges the topic at the capitol has been anything but policy.
“For those that say this is not going to be a distraction, just look at yesterday. Chaos. Session was canceled, we haven’t cast a vote in three weeks,” Republican Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin said.
But negotiations between lawmakers must go on with less than three months until the state needs to enact a budget.
“This is normally the time when everybody concerned with the budget [are] pouring through all the documents,” Empire Center President E.J. McMahon said.
And in those documents, key issues Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a day before the federal allegations against Silver came to light.
“The governor has laid out an education reform agenda that’s seen as a challenge and even a front to the teachers union. Well the teachers unions’ best friend in the legislature is Speaker Silver,” McMahon said.
McMahon says Silver’s pull in the assembly may be weakened, giving more power to the governor’s agenda, especially when it comes to his push of making the property tax cap permanent.
“Speaker Silver tried to stop the tax cap and the only reason the tax cap was given a sunset date of mid 2016 as opposed to being made permanent basically it was just basically at the insistence of Speaker Silver,” McMahon said.
Meanwhile, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are trying to concentrate on what they think is best for their constituents. Although they admit it is going to be tough.
“We clearly have a speaker of the assembly that’s 100 percent compromised and I just don’t see how he can continue to do his job as we head into budget negotiations,” McLaughlin said.
“Yes, this is unfortunate, what happened. It’s not good for the reputation of government, I get that. I understand. But, at the same token we have a budget deadline of March 31st,” Democratic Assemblyman John McDonald said.
Lawmakers will be back in Albany on Monday and so will Silver. He is expected to meet with the Assembly Majority behind closed doors. Lawmakers say they are eager to hear what he has to say in light of the allegations.
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