Carl E. Heastie was elected speaker of the New York Assembly today. The appointment makes him the first African American public figure to hold the title.
Heastie, 47, succeeds Sheldon Silver amid reports of scandal on Silver?s part who was arrested on January 22.
In a speech today, Heastie, a Bronx native, said, ?We have to make sure that tax money is spent carefully and transparently. There must be accountability. Never again can there be a question about the integrity of our members or this institution.?
An Assembly Member of the 83rd district in 2000, Heastie earned a B.S. from State University of New York at Stony Brook and an MBA from Baruch College.
