VESTAL, NY (WSKG) - Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo says her party was able to accomplish a lot during this year’s legislative session. The Democrat spoke at an event in Binghamton this week.
Democrats won the New York Senate last fall. The party has long-controlled the lower house and Governor’s office.
"I'm really excited about many initiatives that have been bottled up in the New York State Senate finally got done," said Lupardo, pointing to voting reform and action on climate change.
But most of the new Democratic majority in the Senate is from downstate. Lupardo said that’s a challenge. She has a harder time connecting with downstate legislators on upstate issues.
“There are currently just four members in the New York State Senate who are from upstate and that’s vastly different than the way it used to be," she said. "Many of us in the Assembly majority had majority partners who some of us worked very closely with.”
Lupardo chairs the Assembly agriculture committee. She said many of her downstate colleagues must be more educated on farm issues.