Much of the news the past few weeks has been dominated by the back-and-forth debate going on in Washington about raising the nation’s debt limit vs. passing real spending cuts and reform programs to balance the federal budget. As expected, much of these...

For more than 30 years, the 11 northern counties in New York State that comprise the North Country have, in some combination, been part of a single congressional district. This North Country district that runs from Oswego County to Clinton County and...

As I write to you, my first legislative session as your assemblyman will be coming to a close in a few days, and I am pleased to see the positive steps Albany is taking to reform the way the Legislature does business. From reducing the state’s bloated...

Dairy Month, an annual celebration of dairy foods, farmers, and the industry, began in 1937 as a way to help distribute extra milk when cows started pasturing in the summer months. Today, Dairy Month continues, with communities, companies and people from...

Despite all the talk of newfound fiscal responsibility in state government, the reality is that for certain liberal legislators and special interest groups, fiscal responsibility means tax hikes. Judging by their recent actions, these folks will not stop...

Here, in Northern New York, we are lucky to have an abundance of fresh and local products, especially during the spring, summer and fall months. From strawberries and sweet corn, to whole wheat flour and maple syrup, the opportunities to buy local products...

Recently, in the news, we’ve seen and heard the disturbing incidents of abuse inflicted on children. While these stories are heartbreaking, they also serve to remind us what we all can do to ensure these tragedies do not happen again. April is...

We owe volunteer emergency service providers a great debt of gratitude for all of the hard work that they do. Almost 85 percent of all firefighters in New York participate on a volunteer basis. There also are over 57,000 certified emergency medical...

This year’s state budget process was especially challenging. Legislators and the governor had difficult decisions to make. Cuts had to be made. But, at the same time, we needed to look at what programs were worth investing in to help strengthen our...

Now that the snow has finally begun to melt, many of our recreational trails throughout the North Country will no longer be humming with the sounds of snowmobiles, but ATVs instead. ATVs are used by 1.9 million New Yorkers each year and are economically...

With spring just around the corner, maple syrup production is in full swing and farmers are busy getting prepared for planting. So it’s fitting that in March we celebrate many agriculture awareness days. From New York State Maple Weekends to Ag Literacy...

Here in Northern New York, hunting is a way of life. North Country residents are law-abiding citizens who jump through the state’s hoops to lawfully own a gun, either for personal protection or for sporting. However, each year, members of the Assembly’s...

New York State is often referred to as one of the most unfriendly states in the country to do business. From high taxes to burdensome regulations to bureaucratic mazes, small businesses and even large corporations continue to find it difficult to succeed...

With the release of Governor Cuomo’s executive budget last week, New Yorkers were presented with both good and bad news. The bad news: state spending must change in order to close the current $10 billion deficit. The good news: the governor and I agree...

Governor Cuomo unveiled his 2011-12 Executive Budget earlier this week, and while there is no question that this year’s budget will be radically different than its predecessors, the Executive Budget is a starting point, not the finish line. The...