Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Wednesday said that Democrats had “squandered the opportunity†the last time they controlled the State Senate, but that “only time will tell†whether an unusual power-sharing arrangement forged Tuesday by Senate Republicans and a group of dissident Democrats will succeed.
Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat who had angered some members of his own party by not pushing for Democratic control of the Senate, said that “dysfunction was legendary†in 2009 and 2010, when Democrats had a majority, and Albany “cannot afford to go back to a period of dysfunction.â€
The governor made his comments in an op-ed piece that he wrote for The Times Union of Albany, which the newspaper published on its Web site on Wednesday. Mr. Cuomo said that he expected the Senate's leadership “to be fluid and subject to influence for some time†given the small gap between the number of seats held by the two parties in the Senate.
Mr. Cuomo wrote that he would withhold judgment until he sees how the Senate functions. He laid out what he described as a “litmus test†for the chamber that consisted of policy measures he wants lawmakers to approve, including raising the minimum wage, overhauling campaign finance laws and reforming New York City's stop-and-frisk policy. He also said he wanted the Legislature to address climate change and take steps toward permitting “limited and highly regulated casinos.â€
“My opinion will be based on how those senators function as a leadership group and perform on the important issues for the people of the state,†Mr. Cuomo wrote. “In many ways, only time will tell. In the interim, function, order and decorum should be the standard we all follow.â€
