It's date night at SOTU

A bipartisan coalition of upstate New York congressional representatives will sit together tonight during President Barack Obama's State of the Union address.

This will be the second year in a row that Democrats and Republicans from upstate New York engage in this display of bipartisanship. It's fairly common for members of opposing political parties to lump together during these speeches.

Sitting together tonight will be Democrats Brian Higgins, Paul Tonko, Bill Owens and Kathy Hochul, and Republicans Richard Hanna, Tom Reed, Chris Gibson and Ann Marie Buerkle.

"While this is a small step toward bipartisanship, I believe Congress has a historic opportunity to come together and work for what is best for New York and the rest of the nation," Owens said in an emailed statement. "I hope to continue working with members of both parties to create opportunities for New York’s working families and small business owners."