Rachel Silberstein is reporting for the Times Union Andrea Stewart-Cousins will in January become the first female leader of a legislative chamber in New York. The Yonkers lawmaker November 26, vowed to lead a conference that operates with "intelligence and integrity." Stewart-Cousins said at a press conference at the state Capitol just after the leadership vote, "...people will finally get the government they've been voting for for so many years." With both houses under Democratic control next year, the Legislature is expected to immediately focus on issues such as electoral reform, gun control and abortion protections. Next year will be the first year with black leadership in both legislative houses: Assemblymember Carl Heastie made history in 2015 when he became his chamber's first African-American speaker. Stewart-Cousins will be the first person of color to hold her post. Stewart-Cousins has been in politics since 1992. She served for a decade in the Westchester County Legislature before being elected to the state Senate in 2006. Outgoing Senate Majority Leader, Long Island Republican John Flanagan, called Stewart-Cousins a "class act" and wished her well. Read the full story in the Times Union.