NEW YORK, NY July 10, 2009 —New York State Senators worked into the night at their first regular session marking and end to their 31-day stalemate. They passed so-called non-controversial bills including the city's half-percent sales tax increase.

The holdup ended yesterday, with the return of Bronx Senator Pedro Espada, Junior, to the Democratic fold, after he had helped Republicans seize control in a coup. Espada says it was not his intention to cause such chaos.

ESPADA: I profoundly apologize. that was not the result. that was a point along the bumpy road.

REPORTER: For his renewed loyalty, Espada has been given the title of Majority Leader. Malcolm Smith regained his position as Senate president. Smith praised Democratic unity.

SMITH: what you see before you today, what you now know once again, is that Democrats have come together to move the state's business forward.

REPORTER: Republican State Senator Dean Skelos, the leader of the coup, says Espada's change of heart was, quote, "his right".

SKELOS: I mean he always indicated to me, and publicly that he's a Democrat, that someday he'd would at least like to join that conference. He never indicated that he was going to leave the coalition.

REPORTER: He says Espada promised HIM that he would make sure reforms were enacted.