Speaker Welch to Visit New York State Assembly Next Week

CHICAGO – At the invitation of New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch will travel to Albany to visit the State Assembly on Tuesday, May 24.   

“I truly enjoyed welcoming Speaker Heastie to the Illinois State Capitol earlier this year, and I’m eager for my first trip to Albany to get a better understanding of how the New York State Assembly functions,” said Speaker Welch. “With recent events, it’s more important than ever that Democratic states work together to uphold the values of this nation. I look forward to this opportunity for collaboration and to learn from our shared experiences.”

After the recent tragedy in Buffalo and as states work to build a force field around women’s reproductive health, Speaker Welch hopes to learn more about New York’s efforts to protect its citizens.

Speaker Heastie and Speaker Welch are both the first Black people to preside over their respective chambers. They’ve both helped to usher in historic criminal justice reforms, championed initiatives for adequate and equitable funding of public schools, and have led efforts to make their states more welcoming for immigrants.

“It is a pleasure to have my friend and counterpart from Illinois, Speaker Welch, come to the People’s House here in Albany,” New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said. “In March of this year I was lucky enough to visit the Illinois House of Representatives as their first guest in two years. Both Speaker Welch and I have the honor of being the first Black speakers of our respective chambers, and visits like these are an incredible opportunity to discuss our experiences in leading diverse caucuses within our states and to learn from one another.”

During his visit to the New York State Capitol, Speaker Welch will meet with the Majority Conference, as well as the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus prior to delivering remarks to the entire chamber.

Accompanying Speaker Welch on this trip will be Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Co-Chair Kambium Buckner, Assistant Majority Leader Marcus Evans and Press Spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll. The group will arrive in New York Monday evening and will depart on Wednesday. No state dollars were used to pay for this trip.