April Baskin sworn in as state senator for 63rd district

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- Former Erie County Legislature Chair April Baskin was sworn in Saturday as the state senator for New York's 63rd district, making her the first Black woman elected to the State Senate in Western New York history.

Baskin, a Buffalo native, will represent Cheektowaga, Lackawanna and parts of Buffalo. She succeeds now-Congressman Tim Kennedy, who held the position for 13 years, beating Republican John Moretti with 65.92 percent of the vote in November.

In her new role, Baskin said she will fight for affordable housing, resources for education and helping small businesses.

"There are always people back home and across our nation that are looking at our governmental leaders, especially with some of the trying times that we've had recently in our country," Baskin said. "I'm so privileged to be amongst 63 people in the state of New York get to be senators and I'm one of them."

As the youngest person to serve as Erie County's legislative chair, Baskin has secured over $4 million for affordable housing, pharmacies and primary care offices in Buffalo. She has also passed legislation for the Erie County Sheriff's Office to receive body cameras, banned conversion therapy, and headed the "Percent for Public Art" law, which gives 1 percent of building construction project costs in the county to public art for the site.

Tim Meyers, district 7's legislator, became the new Erie County Legislature chair on Thursday. Former Chief of Staff of the Buffalo Common Council Taisha St. Jean Tard was unanimously appointed to represent Baskin's district.