Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning) today joined with several of his Assembly Minority colleagues outside of the Assembly Chamber to call for an immediate, open and transparent vote on the Assembly floor to elect a new speaker.

“I renew my call for Speaker Silver to step down and for there to be an immediate and transparent vote on the Assembly floor to avoid backroom deals with special interests and outside influences,” said Palmesano. “The longer this drags on, the more outside special interests and influences are going to try to determine the outcome of who will be our next speaker. The Mayor of New York City and the Working Families Party should not be deciding who is going to be the next Assembly Speaker. It’s the responsibility of the duly elected members of the NYS Assembly, and it should happen immediately so we can finally get to work on addressing the important issues and challenges facing our state.

“We’ve been in session for a month and we’ve only had one vote: to elect the Speaker of the Assembly,” said Palmesano. “No committee meetings, no votes on important legislation, nothing. We have important work to do on behalf of the people of New York State, and this distraction has to end now so we can get to work.”

Palmesano was joined at the press conference by Assemblyman Joe Borelli (R,C,I-South Shore), Assemblyman Cliff Crouch (R-Bainbridge), Assemblyman Andrew Garbarino (R,C,I-Sayville), Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C,I- East Patchogue) and Assemblyman Ray Walter (R,C,I- Amherst).