Governor Paterson and the Rockefeller Drug Laws

Will Governor David Paterson be able enact the agenda of State Senator David Paterson?

I asked Assemblyman Jeff Aubry of Queens if he thought, for example, that Paterson would act to reform the Rockefeller drug sentencing laws, which Aubry tried to do, unsuccessfully, under Spitzer. (As Senate Minority Leader, Paterson had tried to raise the profile of the issue.)

"It's too early to comprehend with certainty what the next administration will do," Aubry told me on the floor of the Assembly chambers.

He added, "I would anticipate we would have an easier discussion, but I am not naive enough to believe that assuming the mantle of leadership in the state is not going to have some impact how he manages a given issue."