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The resolution takes effect immediately.

Sources say there were two resolutions being considered by state senators as they met behind closed doors Tuesday night. One called for an immediate expulsion, the other would have delayed it until June.

Monserrate was convicted in October of misdemeanor assault for dragging his girlfriend through the lobby of his apartment building.

The committee that investigated him recommended the State Senate vote on a resolution to expel Monserrate and if that were to fail, to vote on a resolution censuring him.

Democrats, however, declined to consider a motion to simply censure him.

"I feel a lot better about us as an institution right now, that we finally did something that was correct. It was a step forward," said Albany Senator Neil Breslin.

Monserrate said he will file a lawsuit to fight his expulsion and said his expulsion deprives voters of their right to choose a representative.

"I think it's the height of arrogance for someone who has never pulled a lever in my community, who never saw the narcotics sales on Roosevelt Avenue, who never saw the lack of services that my community receives to think that today, they have more power than the constituent voters who sent me here to represent them," Monserrate said.

State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said he would represent the Senate in a resulting lawsuit.

Supporters of Monserrate said the expulsion was an act of revenge, for the Queens senator's involvement with last summer's coup that overthrew the Democratic majority for a month.

"It's about the coup. I'll be honest about it and I'll say it, a lot of people are very upset about Senator Monserrate's hand in what happened last June," said Brooklyn Senator Kevin Parker, who is also facing assault charges.

Yet those in favor of Monserrate's expulsion denied the coup was a factor.

"His conduct was so severe that it required a very serious sanction," said Manhattan Senator Eric Schneiderman. "Tonight the overwhelming majority of the senate agreed with the committee and voted to expel."

Earlier in the day, New Yorkers had mixed reactions to the vote, with some questioning if he's being given special treatment because of his job.

"I think he should go," said one Queens resident. "I think that you can't be a lawmaker and commit crimes."

"I used to live in a building where he lived, the co-op, and he always had an attitude about him, very cocky and he shouldn't represent this borough," said another.

"People have problems, nobody's perfect, and I think what he did was bad, but really should we focus about that?" said a third. "[Was this his] whole career? I mean, you forget all the times he helped people."

On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. proposed a bill to automatically expel senators convicted of Class-A misdemeanors.

Governor David Paterson has already announced he will call a special election for Tuesday, March 16 to fill the seat.

This is the first time in more than a century that a New York senator has been expelled.