Former Assembly Speaker Mel Miller Passed Away

March 18th, 2019

Former Assembly Speaker Mel Miller, 79, passed away in Manhattan of complications from lung cancer. Miller served in the Assembly for 21 years and rose to the speakership in 1987 where he stood up to Governor Mario Cuomo, a fellow democrat, by fighting to enact a larger than proposed income tax cut. Miller advocated for education and social issues, opposed reinstating the death penalty, and staunchly opposed the Governor’s effort to significantly increase penalties on drug dealers during the height of the crack cocaine epidemic in New York City. After his time in the Assembly, Miller went on to become a successful lobbyist.