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State Sen. Hiram Monserrate said this week that the action he has taken in the Senate – voting last week with the Republicans to oust Majority Leader Malcolm Smith and later switching back to stand behind the Democrats, creating a partisan stalemate – was all done in the name of reform.

Frustrated with what he called a lack of leadership within the Democratic majority, Monserrate (D-Corona) joined with fellow Democrat Pedro Espada (D-Bronx) to join with the 30 members of the Republican conference to establish Dean Skelos (D-Long Island) as Majority Leader and Espada as President Pro Tem.

“I am a Democrat. I took a vote as a New York State Senator in the chamber during session to vote for a leadership change,” Monserrate said Tuesday. “I voted for reform to the rules to make the New York State Senate more transparent and work in a more equitable fashion.”

A few days later, Monserrate came back into the fold, aligning himself with the Democrats. Espada remained in his leadership position, which the Democrats refuse to recognize, and the chamber is now split down the middle, with the two parties each controlling 31 votes. Typically, the tie-breaking vote would go to the Lieutenant Governor, but since there is none, many believe that there is no possibility of a tie-breaker. This, Monserrate said, forces both sides to now work together.

Monserrate did not go so far as to acknowledge that the actions he took were crafted specifically to reach this result, but he said he was pleased by it and that it was all done to reform what has been characterized as the most dysfunctional legislature in the nation.

“The overarching plan was reform. I did whatever it took me. To use a phrase from a great man from my district, this was a necessary means to get to an end,” Monserrate said, referring to Malcolm X. “We understand that sometimes change is difficult; change is challenging. Sometimes some feathers are ruffled along the way.”

Those feathers are still ruffled, according to insiders within the State Senate Democrats, though a worker for the caucus said that the mood in Albany by Wednesday had become quiet, with many meetings going on between individual members to discuss the future, with lower level staff, who are usually involved in the discussions, being left out.

“The reality of it is that any member on either side can change this situation,” one staffer said. “Hiram is not the only one who can change things.”

Monserrate, who faces criminal charges and was censured by his party prior to his “defection,” has not won a lot of friends in the process.

“Hiram gave his word to the Republicans which gave them power, then he broke it and gave his word, again, to the Democrats, which has now paralyzed this state,” said Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria). “We’ve been ‘Hiram-ed.’”

As to Monserrate’s claim that his moves were for reform, not personal power, Vallone added, “I said from day one that the coup would never last because it was based on power, not principle. It was never about issues, it was about personal gain.”

Monserrate, however, disagreed.

“This has never been to me about a committee, a stipend, a chairmanship,” he said. “It is about three things: a change of leadership, rules changes and the legislative package – the things that deal with the needs of the people of New York.”

All legislation in the Senate is stalled, with current Democratic Leader John Sampson (D-Brooklyn) going so far as to suggest Wednesday that the Senate go home. The Democrats have proposed rules for a joint operating agreement that would share power between the parties. The Republicans have rejected the offers and made none of their own. They continue to seek to open the session, but only with Espada as Pro Tem.

“That is something that is just off the table for us,” said Democratic spokesman Shams Tarek. “Whoever is saying, ‘come to the chamber and let’s have a session’ with Pedro as Pro Tem couldn’t be taking a more irresponsible position. We refuse to let that happen.”

Espada had also been previously censured by the Majority. The Democrats have begun a robo-call campaign into Republican districts to challenge the assertion that Republicans hold for Espada remaining next in line to be governor.

“Our State Senator, Frank Padavan, voted to elect Pedro Espada, an indicted Democrat from the Bronx to lead the Senate and to be next in line for governor? What was Padavan thinking,” the call states. “Pedro Espada’s campaign was convicted of stealing from the elderly to pay for his campaigns, and was just accused of trying to steal millions of taxpayer dollars through bogus nonprofits. Call Frank Padavan […] and tell him we’ve had enough corruption in Albany. We need him to stop the nonsense, get rid of Pedro Espada and get back to work.”

“We will have a resolution some time soon,” Monserrate said. “What is important is that at the end of this process that we move forward.”