Newly elected Sen. Craig Johnson was sworn in today to the State Senate by Lt. Gov. David Paterson, while his wife Elizabeth held a bible, and his family looked on. This was only the second time he had visited the Capitol; he attended the State of the State earlier this year.
Sen. Minority Leader Malcolm Smith, of St. Albans, said Johnson’s election showed, "the people of this state have decided that they want to see some change in government, some change in how we proceed. That change had a lot to do with reforming the way we do business as a body."
Johnson was elected in a special election last week, to fill the vacancy created when Sen. Michael Balboni joined the Spitzer administration, serving as homeland security czar.
When asked about recent developments in Albany, Johnson said, "I’m focused on governing. My purpose today, and tomorrow, and the next day, is to govern."
Johnson noted the need to pass the budget, saying he will focus on lowering property taxes. "Politics ended a week ago Tuesday, now it’s time to govern," he said.
-Melissa Mansfield in Albany