Politics on the Hudson

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, and Gov. Eliot Spitzer released statements thanking the late Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski, D-New City, for his service to the state. Zebrowski died Sunday from a “combination of liver and renal failure after a courageous battle with liver disease,” according to his family.

Spitzer described Zebrowski, who was elected to a second term in November, as “an outstanding public servant whose energy, dedication and three decades of serving the public will be deeply missed.”

During his two terms, Zebrowski championed stronger public schools, greater access to health care for seniors and protecting young people from the dangers of steroids, the governor said. Zebrowski was “passionately involved in his community and the public institutions of New City and Rockland County, earning him the respect of his friends, neighbors, colleagues and fellow citizens,” Spitzer said.

Before serving in the Assembly, Zebrowski served in the Rockland County Legislature for 21 years. He was chairman for four years.

Silver said Zebrowski’s death “is a devastating shock to us all. Assembly member Zebrowski approached public service with an intense passion and commitment to the people he served. While he came to the Assembly in 2005 with an impressive history of legislative leadership, it was his deep devotion to his wife Linda and their six children that stood as the fullest measure of his character.

“Ken will be sorely missed as a legislator, as a representative for his district, and most importantly as a friend.”