YNN State of Politics: Sen. Espaillat emails constituents about the long night ahead as the rent laws tick down to zero - states that senators will stay "as long as it takes"

By Liz Benjamin:

While we’re waiting for the Senate GOP to emerge from behind closed doors or send up some smoke signals on same-sex marriage, (we’re almost at the three-hour mark here), the fight over extending and/or strengthening the rent laws, which are set to expire at midnight, is continuing.

An Assembly Democrat told me not long ago that his conference is still struggling with whether to accept a 48-hour extension, an extension until Monday or no extension at all (this in spite of the speaker’s tough talk about rejecting all three).

Meanwhile, the advocates are handing out the flyer that appears below, highlighting the Senate GOP’s close relationship with the Rent Stabilization Association (president Joe Strasburg is the guy with a moneybag for a head) and likening Majority Leader Dean Skelos to a mob boss.

The Senate Democrats, meanwhile, are preparing to dig in. Sen. Adriano Espaillat, who has led the fight for his conference, sent an email to supporters in which he again pledged to remain at the Capitol “as long as it takes” to pass legislation that extends and strengthens rent regulations.

“Following my meeting with Governor Cuomo yesterday, I have once again rejected Republican moves to further weaken rent laws and allow landlords to raise rents and harass tenants,” Espaillat wrote.

 

“For the next 12 hours – and beyond – I will continue to fight to make sure millions of tenants are protected. I am

 

working closely with Governor Cuomo who has joined us in our call for the extension and strengthening of rent regulations.”

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