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Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte submitted  he petition to delist the Northern Continental Divide population, which occurs only in Montana, while  Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon filed the petition to delist the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem population, which occurs in parts of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. While critical of the decision to start a formal status review, which likely would result in a proposal to lift endangered species protections, environmental groups also noted that the service had denied a request from Idaho to delist all bears in the lower 48 states.

  A day earlier Stewart-Cousins said she and the governor had not spoken since the committee vote. The unprecedented move by the recently expanded Senate committee followed a bitter public battle over LaSalle’s judicial record as progressive lawmakers, union leaders and other advocates vocally opposed his appointment and painted him as too conservative to lead the state’s sprawling judiciary. Holder is the highest-profile Dem to come out in support of the Senate after Hochul enlisted the likes of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and other top party members to rally around LaSalle ahead of the committee vote. Former chief judge Jonathan Lippman is among those supporters who think LaSalle didn’t get a fair shake and said two weeks ago he believes a full floor vote will take place “one way or another.” LaSalle, who would have been the first Latino chief judge in New York and currently serves as the presiding justice of the 2nd Appellate Division in Brooklyn, faced fierce...