Republicans Take Back Control of the NYS Sentate

By Karen DeWitt & Rachel Ward

Albany, NY – WXXI has a report from its Albany Bureau that Republicans have seized control of the state senate.

That body was previously held by a slim Democratic majority.

Two downstate Democrats -- Senator Hiram Monserrate of Queens and Senator Pedro Espada Junior of the Bronx -- voted with the senate's Republicans to elect Senator Dean Skelos as the majority leader of the senate Monday. Skelos formerly served as majority leader, when Republicans held the chamber before last fall's elections.
He replaces Democrat Malcolm Smith.

The coup in the state senate had its first rumblings when Monserrate and Espada threatened to caucus with Republicans -- citing their opposition to gay marriage -- after Democrats took a one-seat majority in the senate.