ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The resignation of a New York state lawmaker embroiled in a sex harassment scandal has become official a month earlier than he had originally planned.
    
Assemblyman Vito Lopez of Brooklyn announced on Saturday that his resignation from the 53rd Assembly District seat is effective as of 9 a.m. Monday.
    
The surprise announcement came just a day after the 72-year-old Democrat defied demands by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign immediately. Instead, Lopez had announced last week that he would resign at the end of the legislative session on June 20 to become a candidate for the New York City Council.
    
Lopez faced possible expulsion from the Legislature amid sexual harassment allegations.
    
The allegations against him include asking young female staffers to massage him and join him in hotel rooms.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says he'll go ahead with a planned vote to expel Assemblyman Vito Lopez from office despite Lopez's announcement that he's resigning at the end of the legislative session.
    
Lopez says Friday he'll resign June 20 not because of a sexual harassment scandal, but to run for New York City Council. Lopez says he's gratified two investigations of his behavior found no basis to charge him with a crime.
    
But Silver says the scathing reports by a special prosecutor and the state's ethics board revealed enough to force Lopez from office immediately.
    
Gov. Andrew Cuomo also said Lopez, a fellow Democrat, should resign or be expelled.
    
Silver hopes to have an expulsion resolution before the Assembly on Monday.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York Senate Republicans say Monday's murder conviction of a Philadelphia abortion doctor bolsters their opposition in Albany to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's abortion proposal.