Saul Weprin

Saul Weprin
118thSpeaker of the New York State Assembly
In office December 16, 1991 – February 11, 1994
Governor	Mario Cuomo
Preceded by	Mel Miller
Succeeded by	Sheldon Silver
Member of theNew York State Assembly from the24thdistrict
In office December 1, 1971 – February 11, 1994
Preceded by	Martin Rodell
Succeeded by	Mark Weprin
Personal details
Born	(1927-08-05)August 5, 1927 Brooklyn,New York City, U.S.
Died	February 11, 1994(1994-02-11)(aged 66) Queens,New York City, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Brooklyn College(BA) Brooklyn Law School(JD)

188th Street inFresh Meadows, Queens,named after Weprin

Saul Weprin(August 5, 1927 – February 11, 1994) was an American attorney and politician. He was aDemocraticmember fromQueens Countyof theNew York State Assembly,and served as itsSpeakerfrom December 1991 until his death.

Biography

Saul Weprin was born inBrooklyn,toJewishparents who had emigrated from theKyivarea. He went toThomas Jefferson High Schoolin Brooklyn,and graduated fromBrooklyn Collegein 1948 andBrooklyn Law Schoolin 1951.He practiced law at theManhattanlaw firm of Thelen, Marrin, Johnson & Bridges until he becameSpeaker of the New York State Assemblyin 1991. He served in theUnited States Coast Guardin 1945.

In the late 1950s he became president of his cooperative apartment board inHollis, Queens,in 1962 he became Democratic leader of the 24th Assembly District. On November 2, 1971, Weprin was elected to theNew York State Assembly,to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation ofMartin Rodell,and took his seat in the179th New York State Legislatureduring the special session in December 1971. Weprin was re-elected several times, and remained in the Assembly until his death in 1994, sitting also in the180th,181st,182nd,183rd,184th,185th,186th,187th,188th,189th,190th New York State Legislatures.There he served as chairman of the Commerce Committee and the Judiciary Committee. In 1986, he tried to becomeSpeakerafterStanley Finkannounced his resignation, but lost toMel Miller.In 1987, he got the post of Ways and Means Committee chairman, and was instrumental in developing the Tax Reform and Reduction Act, one of the largest tax cuts in American history. On December 16, 1991, he was elected Speaker "after a lightning-like round of politicking by telephone among the Democrats in the Assembly",after SpeakerMel Millerhad lost his seat in the Assembly upon being convicted on federal fraud charges, later overturned on appeal.

Weprin was an opponent of the death penalty and a supporter of abortion rights. He pushed the first gay rights bill through the Assembly, sought to increase state aid for schools in New York, and defended the state's Medicaid and welfare programs against cuts proposed by the Republican-controlled Senate.

Personal life

Weprin married Sylvia Matz in 1950, a biology teacher, who was born inCubaand emigrated to the United States with her family in 1938,when she was eight years old.He died on February 11, 1994, at theLong Island Jewish Medical Centerin Queens from complications resulting from astroke.

The couple had three sons, Barry Weprin, an attorney in New York,Mark Weprin,who won his father's former seat, and served in the Assembly until January 2010, when he was elected to theNew York City Councilseat vacated by his brotherDavid Weprin,who, after an unsuccessful run forNew York City Comptroller,succeeded him in the Assembly in 2010.