The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has announced that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been selected to receive the 2012 William M. Bulger Excellence in State Legislative Leadership Award.

The prestigious Bulger Award honors state legislative leaders who have worked to preserve and build public trust in the institution of the state legislature and whose career embodies the highest principles of leadership.

Read the full release here.

Speaker Silver will be nationally recognized at the NCSL's annual Legislative Summit on August 7 in Chicago, where he will be presented with the award.