Mayor Bill de Blasio headed up to Albany Saturday for the Black and Puerto Rican legislative Caucus. The mayor made two brief appearances honoring the new assembly speaker, Carl Heastie of the Bronx. NY1’s state house reporter Zack Fink filed this story.
Braving a hefty snowstorm, Mayor Bill de Blasio stopped by two cocktail receptions Saturday night. The first at a bar near the Hudson River called Albany Pump Station, the second at Pearl Street Pub in the heart of downtown Albany.
Although the mayor was a special guest, both events were about honoring newly elected Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.
"As a Brooklynite it is a striking historical development that the most powerful person in the New York State Assembly hails from the Bronx. A borough which often didn't get its due or fair share," said de Blasio.
Mayor de Blasio cited his big win from Albany last year, securing more than $300 million in state funding to institute universal pre-kindergarten in the city of New York.
"I remember last year when we were fighting to achieve pre-k for all of our kids, Carl was one of the people who stood up and helped us fight our way through," said de Blasio.
Heastie is being honored during caucus weekend for his historic speakership. After more than 200 years, he is the first African American to hold the post.
"Yes, I think my name will appear in the history books, but I don't just want to be a name in the history books. When all is said and done I don't want people to just say I was the first African American Speaker, I really want to be known as the Speaker who got the work done and improved the lives of the people of the state of New York," said Heastie.
It was a fitting tribute for Heastie, since caucus weekend is also an opportunity to celebrate black history month.
"We know that black history is state history, is American history. He didn't come here to make history. He came here to make things better," said Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
If Saturday night was Mayor de Blasio's night to be at caucus meeting here in Albany, Sunday might be governor Cuomo's day. The governor is hosting a private event at the Executive Mansion Sunday afternoon. The mayor and the governor often avoid crossing paths at these types of events.