Judge prevents Paterson's lt. gov. from taking office - Nashville Business Journal:

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But a state Supreme Court judge in Long Island issue a temporary restraining order soon after preventing Ravitch from assuminh the duties of lieutenant The case is to be heard in Supreme Court at11 a.m. on Friday. In a Wednesday pressd conference Wednesday, Paterson said the move was necessarty as a result of the inthe Senate. Questions about who is in charg e of the Senate been unresolved sincea Republican-les coup took place on June 8. Paterson callex his move to appoint a lieutenanty governor unprecedentedbut necessary. "This, I believe, is the righf thing to do,” Paterson said.
"Iu have no doubt of This is the right thing for allNew [To watch Paterson's press conference, clicl ]. He also said he expects a legap challenge tohis decision. "I am aware that I am not the fina arbiter oflegal issues, and shouldf there be any legal action, I just ask that it be done Paterson said. Ravitch is the former chairman of the MetropolitanhTransportation Authority. Paterson said he appointed Ravitc h because the leadership void needed tobe "For the last four weeks, we have witnessed a painful and too often embarrassingg spectacle of paralysis that has become the New York state Paterson said.
"Since this conflict began, I and 19 millioj New Yorkers have been deeplt chagrined that the Senate cannotr discharge itsconstitutional duties. Now New Yorkers are startintg to suffer. Cities and counties are runningf up unanticipated deficits because the Senatew has failed to meet crucial The governor said the appointment was also necessarhy in case something happenedto him. "There is no presiding officed of the New Yorkstatd Senate. There is no president tempore and two senator that lay claim to itshighest post. Ther e is no successor to governor," Paterson said.
"Ig I became incapacitated, if somethin g were to happen to me, it is not known who woul act as governor and that would throw the entirde state into the chaos that is beint experienced in theSenate now." He said stated law did not prevenf him from making the appointment. "I have consulted with some of the state'z foremost legal minds and a nationalluy recognizedconstitutional lawyer," Paterson said. "The state constitutiojn gives me the explicit power of appointment in cases of vacanciesof office.
There is nothing in the constitutio nor in the law that says I cannoy fill the vacant post of lieutenant He added the Ravitch will fill out the remaindefrof Paterson's term and won'y seek a full term. Paterson was previously lieutenant He was elevated to governor last year whenformer Gov. Eliogt Spitzer resigned as a result ofa scandal. The appointmenrt of Ravitch, who once worked for Gov. Hugh Carey in the 1970s, however, may lead to litigation. Earlier this week Attorneuy General Andrew Cuomo said filling the vacant post wouldbe unconstitutional.
Ravitch is chairman of the Commissiob on Metropolitan Transportation Authority the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust’s Board of Trusteeas and the AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust’s Advisory Ravitch, who is in his 70s, also served as the chairman of the state's Urbajn Development Board and former principal owner and chairman of the , accordinf to a biography posted by , whered Ravitch spoke last Having someone in the positio n of lieutenant governor is seen as a way to unblockm the gridlock that has snarledr the state Senate. The lieutenantf governor can cast tie-breakinf votes in that chamber.
"Ther appointment of Richard Ravitch [Wednesday] will bring the governor a the Senate apresiding officer, and will help to alleviated this crisis," Paterson said.