Aubertine: New Senate Leadership, State Of The State Address Mark Important Day In New York’s History

ALBANY (January 7, 2009)—State Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine said today that he was encouraged by the governor's call to action in light of our state's fiscal crisis and said he is excited about the prospects of a new Senate majority led by Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith.

"Today will be remembered as an important day in the history of our state," Sen. Aubertine said. "I'm very pleased to see Leader Smith take the reins. We're poised to work with the governor, who stayed positive and called us to act in his speech today, keeping his message positive in light of the economic downturn in our state and across the country. He was able to stay focused on solutions and we're ready to work with him."

Sen. Aubertine said that the governor's focus on new initiatives for clean energy, programs for our veterans, bringing back manufacturing jobs, improving access to health care and addressing childhood obesity—especially the Healthy Food/Healthy Communities initiative that links to our state's agriculture industry—were evidence that Central and Northern New York are going to be part of the solution for our state.

Before the governor's speech, Sen. Aubertine and his colleagues chose Sen. Malcolm Smith to serve as the Senate's new President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader.

"He has done a good job putting together a coalition for leadership and he understands the needs of Central and Northern New York," Sen. Aubertine said. "He's a man who makes good on his commitments and I'm confident he will make sure the upstate's voice is heard."

The new Majority Leader has made Sen. Aubertine a part of the transition team and chose him to join leadership as chairman of the Senate's Agriculture Committee. Still an active livestock and crop farmer, Sen. Aubertine owns and operates his Cape Vincent farm on which he milked cows for more than three decades before he was elected to serve in the state Assembly.

"I look forward to the transition into the majority and the opportunity to serve in a leadership role," Sen. Aubertine said. "Certainly, some of our primary goals will be to rebuild our state's economy and our infrastructure, so we emerge from this fiscal crisis stronger than ever. Agriculture is a vital part of the foundation of our upstate economy and will be driving force in its resurgence."