Can Sen. Aubertine and Sen. Little work together?

Devastating economic news for the North Country today.

If three of the region’s prisons close over the next year, slashing nearly five hundred jobs, it would undermine the region’s already woefully thin prosperity.

Those corrections officer jobs, and associated civilian positions, literally anchor whole communities.

They boost school enrollment, allow volunteer fire departments to keep functioning, and spread cash through the retail economy.

There is already some indication that the cuts may be falling with disproportionate weight on this region.

And it’s hard to understand why the Moriah Shock camp would be closed at a time when Rockefeller drug reform laws are increasing demand for that kind of rehabilitation-oriented program.

Two of the region’s powerful state Senators — Democrat Darrel Aubertine and Republican Betty Little — have promised to fight hammer and tong to block at least part of these cuts.

Can they pull it off?

That may depend in part on whether they can work together.

The state Senate has a narrow Democratic majority, one that teeters constantly.

If Aubertine and Little were to form a serious and committed North Country caucus, they could throw a lot of weight around.

They seem to view this issue identically, so a partnership of convenience seems logical.

If they honestly believe that these cuts are unfair and inappropriate, it may be time for their offices to set aside partisan differences and past battles and unify around this fight.

It’s hard to imagine a more important issue for the region.