It’s the end of an era.

A former teacher and mother of six, Betty Little came to Albany from Queensbury in 1996 to serve in the Assembly when there were very few elected female lawmakers at the state capitol. Seven years later, she was elected to the Senate and served in that house for 18 years, rising to the rank of assistant minority leader for policy and administration. 

Little became the go-to power-broker from the North Country, making a name for herself by spearheading efforts to lower property taxes and enabling businesses within the Blue Line of the Adirondack Park to balance the highs and lows of a tourism economy.

She’s also been an environmental leader, protecting Lake George from invasive species like Eurasian Milfoil, and expanding investment in renewable energy. Little, who has a son in the military, has also been a voice for veterans at the state capital.

In remembrances of her achievements, far less attention has been paid to Senator Little’s work as a primary mover of several important Constitutional amendments. 

The Adirondack Council, an organization with whom the senator frequently butted heads, called her “a uniting force on the Township 40 constitutional amendment that sorted out the title disputes between the state and private landowners that had been simmering for over a century.”

According to Adirondack Council Communications Director John Sheehan, the senator’s leadership was instrumental to its passage.

“At one point in the negotiations, local officials were bristling at having to cooperate with the environmental groups to make progress in the Legislature,” Sheehan remembered. “Betty brought the sides together and reminded local officials that no amendment ever passes without the cooperation of conservation organizations and urged the unhappy parties to reconsider.”

According to Sheehan, her negotiating skills were again put to the test during land bank amendment negotiations. In both cases, she succeeded and the amendments passed.

In July, the State Senate confirmed Little as one of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s five nominees to sit on the state Olympic Regional Development Agency board.

Senator Little spoke with Capital Tonight Host Susan Arbetter about her most memorable experience in the legislature, and what she’s looking forward to next.