Statement from Speaker Carl Heastie

Today, we have sworn in the first woman to serve as governor of New York. From State Senate majority leader to state attorney general to vice president of the United States, we continue to see women rise through the ranks of government, and it is a welcome trend.

Governor Kathy Hochul has served at every level of government and is a qualified and dedicated public servant. Over the course of her time in public service, she has visited every corner of this state and developed strong relationships with local representatives.

My colleagues and I know that our state is facing many significant challenges, and we are prepared to partner with Governor Hochul in addressing them. We look forward to working with her to ensure our children can safely return to school, New Yorkers are able to stay in their homes, small businesses can thrive again, our work to end to the scourge of gun violence continues and to fight the resurgence of COVID-19 to finally put this pandemic behind us.

We stand ready to work with Governor Hochul to continue moving New York forward.