Democrats continue to pound away at the possibility of adding an extra Senate seat, raised yesterday by Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.

This morning it’s Sen. Liz Krueger’s turn tacking a whack at the Republicans.

“In a desperate power grab, panicked that the Governor might do the right thing and support independent redistricting, Senate Republicans want to add a 63rd senator and bill taxpayers a million more dollars a year to retain their perks and patronage mills. Senate Republicans cloak themselves as constitutional conservatives, but their actions make them look like constitutional con artists. This is even more evidence why the Governor must not allow the legislature to draw its own lines.”

Skelos told reporters yesterday there’s “a good chance” of a new seat being added. The Senate is currently divided 32-29, with former Sen. Carl Kruger’s seat vacant.

Presumably the new Senate seat would be added in a Republican-friendly area under the lawmaker-driven round of redistricting, a process whose product Gov. Andrew Cuomo has vowed to veto.

I spoke last night with Senate Finance Chairman John DeFrancisco, who defended the possibility of an extra seat, even if it does increase the size of the government.

“There are more people in the state of New York presently then there was 10 years ago abnd each Senate district is about 300,000 residents. If there’s more population in the state of New York that would justify the 63rd seat and end the deadlock that was one of the worst times in our history,” he said.

DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, also defended the legality of the move.

“It’s not inconsistent at all and it will comply with the Constitution whether we do 63 seats or 62 seats and the courts will ultimately make a decision and I think they’re going to decide we did comply with the Constitution,” he said.

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