The continuing corruption in the state capital has one of New York’s heavily criticized “three men in a room” on his way out the door. We hoped a Southern Tier senator would find her window into the all-powerful layer where Albany’s top officials decide the fate of the Empire State.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

Majority Leader Dean Skelos joins former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on the sidelines. Some across the state speculated Skelos’ troubles would open the door for Sen. Cathy Young, R-C-I-Olean.

The local senator has earned a position of power in the Republican majority, taking the title of assistant majority whip earlier this year. She also serves as chair of the Senate Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development, along with the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources. The lawmaker has an active role on the Senate’s Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, the Task Force on Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases and on many more committees.

Young works hard for her constituents, focusing on economic development and cutting taxes.

“Since Republicans have been back in the majority, we have brought balance back to the state,” the senator said last week, while praising the party’s support of farms and job growth. “We have invested in our schools by nearly eliminating the gap elimination adjustment. We passed the property tax cap to put the brakes on runaway property taxes and brought back property tax rebate checks.”

Skelos, clearly a distraction to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, made the correct decision to step back from his role as Senate majority leader following his arrest on federal corruption charges. For the citizens of the region, we hoped Young’s Republican colleagues would give her the support she deserved.

There never should have been a three men in a room system in the first place – and not just because government is supposed to be open to all lawmakers. It’s shocking New York hasn’t had a woman in one of the key positions of power. Young can break such walls down. In the words of Assemblyman Andy Goodell, R-C-I-Jamestown, Young “has a well-deserved, bipartisan reputation for integrity, knowledge and ability.”

Perhaps a woman with her qualities could’ve helped change a culture of corruption in the capital and brought some stability back to the Empire State as Senate majority leader.

Instead, another Long Island Republican will take the reigns. Sen. John Flanagan claimed the title after Senate Republicans’ lengthy closed-door meeting Monday.

Flanagan had unanimous Republican support -including Young’s vote – but it’s hard to get excited by another Downstate senator making crucial decisions for the people of the Chautauqua County region. Let’s hope he proves us wrong.