After a day of countless meetings, two Democratic senators leaving Albany in frustration and session being delayed for more than 12 hours, the Senate managed to come together, passing so-called historic rules reforms around 3 a.m. Thursday.

"Number one, it empowers members," said Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos.

The reforms include eight-year term limits for Senate officers, leaders and committee chairs, a more equitable distribution of member item money and staff resources and an easier process to bring bills to the floor for a vote, whether the leader wants them to or not. In the past, only bills sure to pass ever saw the light of the day.

"There was a sense that the old ways are over," Schneiderman said.

"Wonder or wonders, bills make actually fail on the floor of the Senate for the first time," said Senator Diane Savino.

Many senators, on both sides of the aisle, feel vindicated with the passage of the rules reform, saying the June 8th coup and ensuing stalemate was not for naught.

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"I think people are going to understand that those five weeks were worth it in terms of how it's going to change the way Albany functions," Skelos said.

"We have transformed ourselves from dysfunctionality to functionality, to hopefully a model legislature," said Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr.

One senator actually voted against the rules reform, saying to the victor should go the spoils.

"There are consequences and repercussions for winning and losing elections. I think part of the benefit of winning an election is controlling the legislative and policy agenda of the Senate," said Senator Kevin Parker.

Parker says he may be the only one to speak out against the reforms, but says several other Democrats feel the same, their hesitation contributing to the delay in getting the reforms passed.

"I think it took a little time for some folks to get over the anger of 40 years of abuse," Schneiderman said.

Parker going so far as to say it's no coincidence they were forced to make rules changes now.

"At the very time that we have finally got black and Latino leaders, all of a sudden we're looking to limit. We've never had that before. We had old white guys running the chamber for 250 years," Parker said.

But most say they don't agree race is a factor at all. Some Democrats, long in the minority now realizing two wrongs don't make a right.

"Now we have Malcolm Smith and John Sampson leading our conference and now we've developed rules that are fair and are fair for everyone," said Senator Neil Breslin.

Member items passed for the current year Thursday morning do not reflect the new rules changes. Democrats received $76.7 million in pork, Republicans just over $8 million. Going forward, the majority will get two thirds, the minority one. Each member will get a base $350,000 for staff allocations and leaders and committee chairs likely to get a little more.