It was a little tense around the legislative horseshoe in Suffolk County last night after the Democratic majority upheld a veto from County Executive Steve Levy, a Democrat, that resulted in community groups in primarily GOP districts not receiving funding in the 2007 operating budget.
GOP lawmakers joked about being punished by Levy for speaking out against some of his proposals, and the “tyranny” of the Democratic majority. But the worst outburst occurred between two veteran legislators, Presiding Officer William Lindsay (D-Holbrook) and Legis. Cameron Alden (R-Islip), during a debate over establishing a group to look for relocation sites for the controversial trap-and-skeet shooting range in Yaphank.
Majority Leader Jon Cooper (D-Lloyd Harbor) asked Alden a question about his objections to the task force. And when Alden attempted to answer, Lindsay cut him off for speaking out of turn.
Alden erupted, “Good way to run a meeting.”
Lindsay responded, “I will call a recess of this meeting [if lawmakers' outbursts continued].”
Alden replied, “Do what you have to do.”
Lindsay, banging his gavel several times, shot back, “You aren’t going to disrupt this meeting anymore.”
Later, Legis. Edward P. Romaine (R-Center Moriches) warned his colleagues that if they really angered Democrats the shooting range might end up in a Republican district. “Where are we going to put the trap and skeet? Every member of the minority should live in fear of the tyranny of the majority.”
Romaine and other GOP lawmakers also torpedoed several capital projects pushed by Levy by withholding their votes or voting against the required bond financing.
James T. Madore