Hiram Monserrate, a first term New York State Senator from Northwestern Queens, may be finding himself a bit nostalgic next time he sits in his Senate seat... when he finds it in his personal office, rather than the large chamber in Albany he has grown accustomed to.
The New York State Senate voted Tuesday night to expel one of its own in a rare and controversial move. Hiram Monserrate of the 13th Senate District in Northwestern Queens was expelled from the Senate by his colleagues Tuesday night in 53-8 vote. 8 votes you ask? Doesn't that ring a bell with Mr. Monserrate's name? It should, because he was one of the 8 Democratic Senators who voted against same-sex marriage.
In fact, that is far from one of Mr. Monserrate's only missteps during his time in the Senate. Mr. Monserrate's real 5 minutes of fame came over the summer when he joined Pedro Espada Jr. in the coup that would leave the State Senate in a month-long impassé. Perhaps this would be the reason why there weren't too many friendly faces in the chamber Tuesday to support Mr. Monserrate.
Or perhaps the lack of empathy in the chamber stemmed from a desire to rid an establishment (that has been rocked by a few too many scandals as is) of one more embarrassment, criminal and most importantly wife beater. Mr. Monserrate was convicted in December of Assault in the 3rd degree, a misdemeanor. This is where it get sticky.
There is a clear lack of sympathy for Mr. Monserrate's actions, but the problem with his expulsion is a constitutional one. There is no clause in the New York State constitution permitting the Senate to vote upon expulsion, though state law necessitates the immediate removal if a Senator is convicted of a felony. Since Mr. Monserrate was not convicted of a felony, he has vowed to appeal his expulsion in the state's court of last resort, the New York State Appellate Court.
I think this begs the question... Should the Senate have expelled Mr. Monserrate? Lets look at the facts. No matter how you slice it, Monserrate has probably done something to piss you off. Though the only real grounds for his expulsion is his assault conviction, we have to remember the larger issue that he not only dragged his girlfriend through the lobby of his apartment building, but did this post-slashing her face open with a broken bottle and pre-driving her miles away to a hospital where no one would recognize him when many hospitals were closer. Aside from Monserrate's great track record with women he has abused his position of power to improve his standing in the senate through a coup that resulted in his receiving a committee chairmanship... and a $12,500 stipend. And if that's not enough to make you feel a little stronger for his expulsion, I'm sure a brief glimpse at his voting record will top you off.
So what have we learned from Mr. Monserrate? We've learned what crimes you can and cannot get away with in the New York State Senate. We've learned how much money it takes to buy back a dissident Democrat. ($12,500) And most of all, we've learned just how low a State Senator can sink.
Frankly, Mr. Monserrate, no matter what part of the State Constitution has been violated, you deserve every bit of your expulsion... and then some. What you have done is quite possibly one of the biggest embarrassments ever suffered by the New York State Senate... and that's saying something. You should have resigned while you had the chance and done the first decent deed of your tenure in the senate.
And it may interest everyone to know that Mr. Monserrate's former esteemed colleague, Senator Espada... who held out long enough in the coup to gain a leadership position in the Democratic party... has introduced legislation allowing for the immediate removal of a Senator convicted of a Class A misdemeanor. This way we can make sure there is no legal battle next time a scumbag and a joke need removed from our legislature. Enjoy that big leather chair in your new office, it's a steal for $25... but you should know all about a steal.
The Governor has declared there will be a special election for Mr. Monserrate's seat on March 16th. Lets see a Republican take the seat and return the Senate back to responsible hands and end the madness in Albany!
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