This week, New Yorkers won an important victory when Governor Spitzer rescinded his radical policy that would have given illegal aliens and potential terrorists a New York state driver’s license.

This victory shows the value of having checks and balances in place in New York state and the nation. It was the voice of the Minority party in the Assembly that led the charge and reached across party lines to ensure the voices of the majority of New Yorkers were heard. Our conference was joined by county clerks and elected officials at various levels sharing the same concerns we had with the governor’s proposal.

Never underestimate the power of raising one’s voice on important issues. On more than one occasion since taking office, I have witnessed that when the citizens of New York raise their voices it is heard loudly at the state’s capital. This is true democracy!

My Assembly Minority colleagues and I have been at odds with the governor since he first proposed his idea to give illegal aliens a New York state driver’s license. We opposed the governor’s plan because we believed it would weaken our safety and security and ruin the integrity of the state’s licensure system.

Fortunately, we were not alone in our opposition to the governor’s plan and had the support of the majority of New Yorkers behind us in our effort to block the governor’s proposal. While the Assembly Minority Conference’s efforts to stop the governor’s proposal was blocked by the Assembly Majority on the floor of the Assembly, our continued opposition to his plan, combined with the voice of the people, led to our triumph.

While it was a hard-fought victory, it was one that my Assembly Minority colleagues and I could not have won without the support of the vast majority of New Yorkers. It was the voice of opposition to the governor’s plan from the people of this great state that defeated the proposal and made us all safer. With the governor’s proposal in the waste bin of history, I am confident that, with continued support from the people, we can continue to make strides to improve the lives of all New Yorkers.