ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Senate Democrats are taking turns filling the leadership chairs on the Senate floor as they try to keep control of the chamber.

Starting Wednesday morning around 6 a.m., senators took shifts in the seats reserved for the officer presiding over the Senate and the temporary president.

... The Democrats are locked in a power struggle with Republicans who recruited one dissident Democrat to create a 31-31 split in the chamber. That has stalled legislative action since June 8.

The factions held competing sessions on the Senate floor Tuesday. But the legitimacy of their votes remained unclear Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are suing the chamber's secretary, claiming he's thwarted their new majority coalition by locking doors, turning off lights and microphones, failing to provide necessary documents and threatening staff.

The silver lining? Only this: they haven't been able to do anything since June 8th. Still; I don't know if even the average New Yorker wants to pay the senators that much money to do nothing but jockey with each other. I rather think the average New Yorker would rather let them do it for free, on their own time, while another, newly-elected bunch actually serve the public of New York State.

But I could be wrong.