Lt. Governor Paterson Makes History

(Albany) - Elected to the N.Y. State Senate in 1985 at the age of 31, then State Senate Minority Leader David A. Paterson repeatedly broke barriers, demanded change, and passed legislation on behalf of disenfranchised and disadvantaged New Yorkers throughout his career. Representing the 30th State Senate District, which encompasses Harlem, East Harlem, and the Upper West Side, Senator Paterson worked with every party, every race, and every religious faith to bring social and economic justice to all New Yorkers. Proud to represent New York State in Albany, Senator Paterson recognizes that only by balancing the requirements of business with the needs of individual communities can New York fulfill its true potential.

In November 2002, Senator Paterson was elected N.Y. Senate Minority Leader. As such, he served as the highest-ranking, African-American elected official in New York State and is the first nonwhite legislative leader in Albany’s history. In 2004 in Boston, he became the first visually impaired person to address a Democratic National Convention. And 2006 saw Mr. Paterson made history again by being elected New York’s first African-American lieutenant governor.

As Minority Leader, Senator Paterson directed all policy and budget initiatives for the Senate Democratic Conference. The centerpiece of Senator Paterson’s agenda was meaningful reform of Albany’s legislative process, as he recognizes that when government falls short, it affects the vulnerable most of all. That is why Senator Paterson is committed to ending decades of late state budgets, unfunded mandates and legislative log-jams in order to cut New York’s tax levels (the highest in the nation) and lighten New York’s public debt burden (the second highest in the country after California). In an unprecedented effort in 2004, Senator Paterson released a complete alternative state budget to offer an example of open and transparent policymaking. Dedicated to fundamentally changing the way New York State conducts public business, Senator Paterson is committed to substantive campaign finance, lobbying, and public authority reform. These are the cornerstones of Senator Paterson’s quest to transform state government to make it truly responsive to the needs of all New Yorkers, those both successful and struggling.

From his own experiences, Senator Paterson understands many of the obstacles New Yorkers face every day and that they often depend on government to help them through their toughest times. As a result, Senator Paterson has championed legislation to crack down on hate crimes, domestic violence and child sexual abuse, and to expand voting rights, education funding, affordable housing, and sexual orientation non-discrimination, as well as to protect consumers and ensure the quality of patient care. While he does not believe that government is the solution to every problem, Senator Paterson appreciates that for too many New Yorkers, government is their last hope and that Albany must always defend those who cannot defend themselves.

Senator Paterson has attempted for years to reform New York’s draconian Rockefeller drug laws. In 2004, Senator Paterson made real progress when his staff undertook a complete survey of state drug laws across the country. When the survey concluded that New York’s drug laws were the harshest in the nation, Senator Paterson asked his Task Force on Criminal Justice Reform to propose alternatives. In December 2004, the Legislature approved a sentencing reform bill that reduced the longest sentences. Not content to simply adjust prison sentences, Senator Paterson continues to advocate for further drug law sentencing reforms, including community-based (rather than prison-based) treatment and offender re-entry programs. These proposals have been lauded nationally, and have been singled out for praise across the political spectrum by national commentators and criminal law reform experts alike as measures likely to reduce recidivism while enhancing public safety.

In a similar vein, Senator Paterson produced a comprehensive report on New York’s Medicaid crisis, proposing many innovations and effective tactics used by other states (including bulk purchasing of medicines, a preferred drug list, and potential prescription drug importation from abroad) that, if implemented, would vastly improve Medicaid’s efficiency while extending health care coverage to every New Yorker who qualified.

As New York State Senate minority leader, David Paterson led the charge on several crucial issues for New York’s future, proposing legislation for a $1 billion voter-approved stem cell research initiative, demanding a statewide alternative energy strategy, insisting on strong action to fight against domestic violence, and serving as the primary champion for minority - and women-owned businesses in New York. As a result, Governor Spitzer asked Mr. Paterson to continue to lead New York State on these issues as lieutenant governor.

Lt. Governor Paterson, who is legally blind, is also nationally recognized as a leading advocate for the visually and physically impaired. A graduate of Columbia University and Hofstra Law School, Mr. Paterson also currently serves as an adjunct professor at Columbia’s School for International and Public Affairs. David Paterson lives in Harlem with his wife, Michelle, and their two children, Ashley and Alex, and he is the son of Basil Paterson, the first non-white secretary of state of New York and the first African-American vice-chair of the national Democratic Party.

Pictured Above: Lt. Governor David Paterson

Pictured to the Above Right: David Paterson (right), Assemblyman Peter Rivera (center) and U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (left).