More than a dozen state lawmakers marked their final legislative session this month, several of them retiring after decades in office.
That includes key Upstate figures like Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, who is leaving Albany after 23 years in the Assembly, the last eight as majority leader. The Buffalo lawmaker missed several weeks of this year’s session as she dealt with health challenges.
The departures are an every-two-year occurrence and includes lawmakers seeking other offices.
Peoples-Stokes said she’s most proud of her work to bring business and educational opportunities to minority communities across New York, including the state’s landmark cannabis legalization.
“It set up an opportunity for Black and brown people to have a legitimate economic opportunity to grow their family and their community, and it's actually been, besides all the bumps that the agency is going through, the intent of the legislation is working,” she said.
She said she hopes Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie will continue the tradition of appointing a majority leader from upstate, something to which he has not yet committed.
“New York City is a lot different than Western New York, or Rochester, or … Syracuse, and (we) really do need to hear both of those voices,” Peoples-Stokes said. “And if the majority leader is someone who represents the upstate area, they will bring upstate issues to the attention of the conference and to the attention of the speaker and leadership meetings.”
In his closing remarks for this year’s session, Heastie spoke fondly about the partnership he had with Peoples-Stokes.
“Crystal, you don't know what that did to me, and for me, when you told me you would support me for speaker,” he said. “Love you dearly. You have been a big sister, my protector, and I am so much, so much going to miss you.”
Heastie also extended warm words to other departing members of the Assembly, where 15 of the chamber’s 150 members are retiring, and at least another 10 are running for other offices.
“All of these colleagues were great, always showed me a tremendous amount of cooperation and respect, and I feel privileged, even though this is my 12th session, I always feel privileged for the opportunity that all of you have given to me,” Heastie said.
Those warm words also extended across party lines. Heastie teared up as he spoke of his “good friend” Assemblymember Will Barclay, an Oswego County Republican who stepped aside as minority leader earlier this year.
“I’ll miss the people I work with, the members, of course, and I'll miss, you know, serving my district,” Barclay said. “I guess those three things are the ones that stand out most in my head.”
Longtime Agriculture Committee Donna Lupardo of Binghamton also is stepping aside after more than 20 years in Albany. She was honored during this year’s Dairy Day.
“And I've tried to elevate the profession and bring New York agriculture into the spotlight in a way that I don't think it had been done so much in the past,” she said.
With so much experience leaving the Capitol, Peoples-Stokes had some advice for those who will remain.
“I think it's going to be important to try and make sure that … the honor of the house is always upheld,” she said. “I mean, I know that sounds like a weak kind of terminology, but if you lose that honor, then as a collective, you're not so honorable anymore.”
Four state senators also are retiring, including Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris of Queens, a key floor tactician and backer of redistricting legislation.
