In week four of the legislative session, Syracuse Assemblymember Pamela Hunter is settling into her new role as Speaker Pro Tempore of the state Assembly after being appointed to the position by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.

The Speaker Pro Tempore is often called the voice of the Assembly, keeping track of proceedings and managing what’s going on on the floor. But for Hunter, it’s an opportunity to bring the issues that matter to her constituents in Central New York to the highest levels of state government.

“It was just really elevating and important and awe-inspiring that the speaker saw leadership capabilities in me,” she said.

A member of Assembly leadership, the position elevates both Hunter’s influence and her visibility.

“I meet with the speaker and his leadership team every single week. We go over what’s going on at a high level,” she said. “In practice, I preside over all of the legislative proceedings, so I’m not necessarily the face of the Assembly, but you see my face every single day.”

The position is a positive for Hunter, but also for her home base of Central New York, where she hopes to use her role to spotlight issues like high levels of poverty and housing challenges back home.

“Being in leadership, I think, elevates the voice of Central New Yorkers where I live,” she said. “I have an ear to the speaker and an ear to the governor's office maybe more than I did before.”

Hunter replaces long-time Assemblymember Jeffrion L. Aubry who held the post for more than a decade

Outside of its leadership implications, the position is an important one in terms of day-to-day operations. Blair Horner, senior policy advisor for NYPIRG, said that the Assembly would have a hard time functioning without someone like Aubrey or Hunter at the helm.

“There’s 150 members in the Assembly. People want to have a turn to speak, someone has to be the traffic cop to make sure the conversations ebb and flow like they’re supposed to,” he said.

Plus, Horner stressed the position requires a broader skillset than simply being a talented politician.

“Probably the most important prerequisite: Patience combined with the ability to sit there for a long time,” he said.

For Hunter, a small price to pay to bring the issue that are important to her, including tackling insurance and health care issues, to the forefront.

“We want to make sure to keep that going, and this year specifically anything that entails making sure higher quality of life, affordability is going to be key,” she said.

Both Hunter and Horner stressed that having lawmakers from different parts of the state in leadership roles is crucial to level the playing field for all New Yorkers.