| First elected in 2012, Pat Fahy, in her role in the State Assembly represents the entire City of Albany, Town of New Scotland, and part of the Town of Guilderland. A leading advocate for job creation, environmental conservation, and quality education, Pat has been the prime sponsor of over 200 bills - more than 70 of which have been signed into law including- the nation's first Gun Industry Liability Law to hold gun manufacturers accountable for their role in the gun violence crisis; the nation's first Right to Repair legislation, establishing a 30x30 conservation goal in New York State to conserve 30 percent of land and water by 2030; and examining modification or replacement of part(s) of I-787 in downtown Albany to expand waterfront access and development.
Pat has also introduced legislation to help accelerate the state's transition to clean and renewable energy; expand and modernize New York's Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); and tackle the growing threat of plastic pollution and industry's rising carbon emissions.
Pat serves as the Chair of the Assembly's Higher Education Committee and serves on four additional committees, including Environmental Conservation, Codes, Economic Development, and Tourism. Pat was awarded Freshman Legislator of the Year by the New York State School Boards Association during her first term in office and the Advocate for Choice award by Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood. In 2017, she was awarded the "Promoting Excellence in Mandated Representation" Award by the New York State Bar Association for her Indigent Legal Services (ILS) legislation funding and creating caseload standards. In 2019, she received the New York Library Association's (NYLA) Senator Hugh Farley Award for help securing a $20 million restoration of capital funding, and the New York State Industries for the Disabled's (NYSID) Legislative Champion Award for work on behalf of individuals living with developmental disabilities. In 2022, Pat was named the Environmental Champion of the Year by the New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) and Legislative Champion by the Environmental Advocates of New York (EANY).
Prior to her election, Pat served as Associate Commissioner of Intergovernmental Affairs and Federal Policy in the New York State Department of Labor, where she advocated for federal economic stimulus funds, extended unemployment benefits, and youth training initiatives. Pat is a former elected member of the Albany School Board. She serves on the Board of Directors of the UAlbany Center for Women in Government & Civil Society, and previously served on the Board of the Boys and Girls Club of Albany.
Before moving to Albany, Pat served as the Executive Director of the Chicago Workforce Board. Prior to her work in Chicago, she spent nine years in Washington D.C., including- in the Clinton Administration as the Associate Director for Employment and Training in the Congressional Affairs Office of the U.S. Department of Labor under Secretary Robert Reich; as a legislative analyst in the U.S. House and Senate; and as a Presidential Management Intern in the Department of the Treasury.
Pat is married to Wayne Bequette, a professor at RPI in Troy, NY. They live in the City of Albany where they raised their two children. She has a Master's Degree in Public Administration from University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Northern Illinois University. |