Democratic state Sen. Luis Sepúlveda has been appointed chair of the New York state Senate Judiciary Committee.
Sepúlveda, who represents the 32nd Senate District in the Bronx, becomes the first Latino to hold the position.
He was appointed by Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who, in a statement, touted Sepúlveda’s “steady hand, deep legal understanding” and “strong commitment to transparency.”
“I am confident that under his leadership, the Judiciary Committee will continue to set a high standard for fairness and transparency,” Stewart-Cousins said. “I congratulate Senator Sepúlveda on this well-deserved appointment and look forward to working with him as he leads the committee.”
“I am immensely proud to be the first Latino appointed to chair this committee and deeply grateful to Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for entrusting me with this responsibility,” Sepúlveda said in a statement. “Throughout my career as both a practicing attorney and legislator, I have worked tirelessly to make the courts accessible and equitable for everyone. In this new capacity, I will continue carrying that mission forward.”
Sepúlveda takes over the role from Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who left the Senate at the end of last year to take on a new job as Manhattan borough president.
Among Sepúlveda’s tasks will include overseeing legislation impacting the courts, judicial nominations, civil and criminal procedure and constitutional and judiciary issues.
Sepúlveda was elected to the state Senate in 2018 after serving in the Assembly.