BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Democrats in Albany are on the verge of obtaining a supermajority in the New York State Legislature, which would give them the power to override any veto by Governor Cuomo.
Sean Ryan, who claimed victory in the state senate seat vacated by now-Congressman Chris Jacobs, the idea of a supermajority was downplayed.
"It just gives the senate a little more 'oomph' in its negotiations," Ryan told WBEN. "It's nothing breathtaking but it's a good extra power to have."
Democrats already have a supermajority in the Assembly and only needed to flip two republican-held seats in the state senate to obtain a supermajority. It's not immediately clear if democrats have obtained a supermajority as there are some races still to be decided in other parts of the state due to the thousands of absentee ballots that will begin being counted later this week.
"Not once, has a vote come before me and the legislature, to override a governor's veto," State Senator Patrick Gallivan said. "There has been a number of vetoes by the governor of bills that have passed unanimously in both houses…The legislatives leaders have not stood up and questioned the governor on any of the policies. In the end, we could come together to discuss every one of the governor's directives that he's put forward in this emergency.
In the end, the vote could support the governor."
Among the topics that will come up in the coming months is the redistricting in the aftermath of the census.
Gallivan said he hopes the courts will ultimately decide redistricting but worries that New York City will ultimately lead the redistricting efforts statewide. Ryan, meanwhile, said that redistricting will be "a lot more reasonable looking than the maps that have come out in the senate in the last 30 years"
