Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential Assembly Democrats emerged from more than 10 hours of deliberations Tuesday night to announce that the speaker’s post will be vacant Mon., Feb. 2. The members did not say if Sheldon Silver intends to resign. As he left the Capitol just before 8 p.m., Silver would not say if he plans offer a resignation as speaker or if members will vote him out. He said only that he will not hinder the succession process. Asked directly if he was resigning, the speaker said: “I will be a member of this house. I was elected by my constituents. I do not intend to resign my seat in this house.” Even if Silver, who was arrested on federal charges last week, remains in the chamber, he will not be speaker after the session Monday. Following the meeting, Majority Leader Joe Morelle announced there will be a vacancy in the office of the speaker on Feb. 2. He said the election date for the new speaker is Feb. 10. Morelle will serve as acting speaker until the vote. Silver was elected to the chamber in 1976, and picked by his colleagues in 1994 to assume the speaker’s chair after then-Speaker Saul Weprin suffered a serious stroke. Silver was arrested last week and charged with taking $4 million in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for pushing policy favorable to real estate developers and securing state grants for a New York City doctor’s research. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

PLAY Morelle's announcement (2:43)



PLAY Silver as he left the Capitol, Tuesday (1:27). (Audio is faint.)