The Remarks Of Speaker Sheldon Silver

Worker's Compensation Bill Signing Press Conference

State Capitol, The Red Room, Albany, NY
Tuesday, March 13, 2007 [11 a.m.]

Audio Excerpt 1 (27 seconds) Audio Excerpt 2 (19 seconds) View Transcript

First, let me say that I and my Assembly colleagues are thrilled to have contributed to this much-needed and long-awaited reform of New York's worker's compensation law.

As I said when we reached agreement on this legislation, this is about creating jobs and nurturing opportunity, and it is a significant step forward in our mutual commitment to revitalize struggling economies throughout this State.

Equally important, we are providing a measure of security to working New Yorkers, particularly those whose occupations pose a real threat of injury and the potential loss of a paycheck.

Let me once again acknowledge the work of our Labor Committee Chair, Assembly Member Susan John, who invested days, nights and weekends in helping to secure this agreement.

Separate and apart from its provisions, this legislation is important for the process that brought it to fruition.

This is the government New Yorkers want: where the divergent interests within this state come together, work through their differences, strive to reach consensus, and forge agreements that are first and foremost about bettering our State as a whole.

It could not have happened last year or the year before or the year before that, because there was no unity of purpose and no absolute sense of urgency to get it done.

Speaking for the Assembly Majority, Governor, we once again applaud your commitment and your effort to bring about this long-awaited reform, and we commend all of our partners in this critical endeavor.

There are a host of issues New Yorkers want and need to be addressed.

Hopefully, we can adopt the same process that brought us Worker's Compensation reform and give New Yorkers the government they deserve.

Thank you.