In Albany this weekend, the annual Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus reception drew appearances from Governor Cuomo and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul.
When the caucus started 44-years ago, it wasn't very big and it wasn't very powerful. Now, it's 48-members and long-time member Carl Heastie is Assembly speaker. Other minority legislators are in power positions like Buffalo Democrat Crystal Peoples-Stokes who is chair of the Assembly Governmental Operations Committee and chair of the caucus weekend.
Peoples-Stokes says a key part of the weekend was showing the connection of labor unions and the working poor in improving conditions.
"Unions and the working poor have opportunities to come together and create a society where everybody has an opportunity for a good, solid-paying Living Wage job and everybody has an opportunity to reap the benefits of the social programs that are administered by government and particularly by the State of New York," Peoples-Stokes explained.
Governor Cuomo was honored for closing 13 prisons in his four years in office. Peoples-Stokes says the large minority representation means the issues of their constituents will be at the table when decisions are made.
