ALBANY — Less than a week following the failed insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, state Assembly leaders gathered at the state Capitol for the new legislative session, pledging collaboration and civil discourse.
Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie began Monday’s late afternoon meeting reflecting on the past year’s events and expressing optimism that an end to the coronavirus pandemic is in sight and New Yorkers are resilient enough to make it through.
“As we begin this new year, we are facing some of the most challenging times in our state’s history,” he said. “The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated parts of our economy and recovery will not be easy, but I know that there is hope because we have always risen to the occasion.”
Heastie pointed to New Yorkers’ resiliency after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and countless natural disasters including Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, record breaking snow and ice storms, and historic flooding.
The Assembly leader also offered a glimpse into some of the issues the Democratic majority may champion in the coming weeks, including increasing access to health care, expanding broadband access and building on last year’s criminal justice reforms.
“Paired with less access to care, implicit racial bias in our health care system and higher uninsured rates, this pandemic has only served to exacerbate these inequities resulting in higher rates of infection, hospitalization and death from COVID-19,” Heastie said. “We need to ensure that everyone has access to health care. We must do better.”
Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes also expressed optimism, remarking that the challenge “sharpens and prepares you” for what’s to come.
Peoples-Stokes acknowledged the divergence the two parties may take on issues, but said legislators can be an example for practicing civil discourse, even in disagreement.
“I believe we can have those conversations and we can help begin to move this country forward,” she said. “But again, in that process we must always be civil, respectful, mindful of each others’ viewpoints and backgrounds (which) may be different, but we can still have the conversation and be civil.”
Minority Leader William Barclay also said he’d work to find common ground with Democrats to help “our constituents and New York state.” He dismissed the notion that last week's uprising in the nation's Capitol would create tensions across the aisle in local government.
“If we let those events impact us, then we fail as a Legislature,” Barclay said. “The 19.5 million (New Yorkers) need us to act, and they have never needed it more.”
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January 12, 2021 at 07:52AM
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State Assembly leaders speak of collaboration, civil discourse for 2021 - Times Union
"discourse" - Google News
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