Senate Majority Leader John J. Flanagan appointed Central New York Senator John DeFrancisco as Deputy Majority Leader of the New York State Senate, thus restoring regional balance in the leadership of the upper chamber.
“John DeFrancisco is a key part of our leadership team and a staunch advocate for the needs of every region of the state, including Upstate New York. As a colleague and a friend, I am confident he will be a strong Deputy Majority Leader whose knowledge and experience will help move our pro-growth, pro-taxpayer agenda forward in the coming months and years. We have made real progress in moving this state in a new and better direction, but we have a lot of important work left to do. I am pleased to name Senator DeFrancisco to this position and look forward to continuing to work with him in this new capacity,” Senator Flanagan said.
DeFrancisco, who represents Onondaga and Cayuga counties, has served as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee since 2011 where he helped Senate Republicans set the tone for a return to fiscal responsibility with passage of five consecutive on-time budgets that controlled spending and were balanced without tax increases.
“I am honored to be appointed Deputy Majority Leader of the New York State Senate. I look forward to continuing to work with John Flanagan and the entire Senate Republican team in this new role. It is important that we redouble our efforts to help further our priorities of controlling state spending, reducing the tax burden on our citizens, and creating jobs in the State of New York,” Senator DeFrancisco said.
The top two leadership posts in the State Senate has changed hands due former Majority Leader Dean Skelos being forced to step down after being indicted by federal prosecutors on bribery and extortion charges a few months ago. Last week, Thomas Libous, the former deputy majority leader of the New York state Senate, was convicted of lying to federal investigators. Libous was expelled from office upon his felony conviction.
Senator DeFrancisco was first elected to the Senate in 1992 and is a lifelong resident of the City of Syracuse. In addition to his role as Chairman of the Finance Committee, he served as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee from 2003-2008.
Follow Us