Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch will visit Albany on Tuesday and meet with his New York counterparts in the state Assembly, Speaker Carl Heastie's office said. 

Welch's visit comes after Heastie previously traveled to Springfield to meet with Illinois state lawmakers. He will be joined by Illinois Reps. Marcus Evans and Kam Buckner. 

“It is a pleasure to have my friend and counterpart from Illinois Speaker Welch come to the People’s House here in Albany,” Heastie said. “In March of this year I was lucky enough to visit the Illinois House of Representatives as their first guest in two years. Both Speaker Welch and I have the honor of being the first Black speakers of our respective chambers, and visits like these are an incredible opportunity to be able to discuss our experiences, in leading diverse caucuses within our states and to learn from one another.”

Welch's trip will include meeting with the Assembly Democratic conference, lunch with the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Caucus, an introduction on the Assembly floor and attending an event for the Women's Legislative Caucus. 

“I truly enjoyed welcoming Speaker Heastie to the Illinois State Capitol earlier this year, and I’m eager for my first trip to Albany to get a better understanding of how the New York State Assembly functions,” Welch said. “With recent events, it’s more important than ever that Democratic states work together to uphold the values of this nation. I look forward to this opportunity for collaboration and to learn from our shared experiences.”

Like Heastie, Welch is the first Black speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives.