Click here to read the court papers filed on behalf of NYS Senator Malcolm A Smith against NYS Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, county of Albany.

Malcolm Smith, who may or not be the State Senate Majority Leader,just issued this statement, via his spokeperson, Austin Shafran:

“The Temporary President and Majority Leader, Senator Malcolm A. Smith, was elected to a two year term pursuant to a resolution passed by a majority of Senators in January 2009. The purported coup was an unlawful violation of New York State law and the Senate rules and we do not accept it. The Senate Majority is fully prepared to go back to the people’s work, but will not enter the chamber to be governed by unlawful rules. We plan to file an action for a temporary injunction to enjoin the Republicans from illegitimately usurping authority from the people of New York,” said Austin Shafran, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith.

And so the people’s business is accomplished.

A power shift has taken place in Albany today, according to this story from the Albany Times Union. Dean Skelos is the new majority leader after Senators Hiram Monserrate, D-Queens, and Pedro Espada, D-Bronx switched their allegiance. Thus ends Malcolm Smith’s tenure as majority leader.

Meanwhile, the Web site for biweekly political paper City Hall says Sabres owner Tom Golisano “entered the chamber on the Republican side as the coup was taking place. Top Golisano aide Steve Pigeon has a longstanding relationship with Espada, who was voted president pro temp.”

Last Friday, a court case brought by the International Bottled Water Association and Nestle Waters of North America was decided by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Griesa. The result puts New York’s recently passed Bigger Better Bottle Bill (BBBB) legislation on hold until April 1, 2010. Read Griesa’s order here.

Here’s the NYPIRG press release where they call upon Governor David Patterson, Senate Majority leader Malcolm Smith, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to do something about it. After all, these three were presented awards from 50 environmental groups on Earth Day for enacting the law.

Now that photo-op has come and gone, and big, corporate lawyers have succeeded in scuttling the measure for another year at least, throwing the state budget out of whack by an estimated $115 million.

Click here to read a statement from the Bottle and Can Redemption Association (BACRA), one of the green industries that was counting on the BBBB legislation to keep struggling redemption centers afloat.

To add another layer of weirdness to this whole mess, here’s a story from the New York Post, painting Senator Antoine Thompson’s office in a less than favorable light.

From today’s New York Times. There’s good reason that Malcolm Smith had Antoine Thompson at his right hand yesterday.