Throughout the state, local municipalities are preparing and finalizing their budgets. As communities figure out how they are going to pay for services and keep property taxes from increasing, I hope our elected state officials remember that we must take...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) was again named to the New York State Farm Bureau’s “Circle of Friends.” This is the fifth time Blankenbush has been recognized for his efforts to support agriculture and policies that help family...

Some of you may be aware of the corruption trial of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver that started earlier this month. He’s charged with fraud, extortion and money laundering. The charges say that he, as speaker of the Assembly, took in more than...

According to a Siena College Poll released earlier this month, at 71 percent, New Yorkers overwhelmingly believe upstate New York should be receiving fair funding for infrastructure needs. Fighting for our fair share of infrastructure funding has always...

Recently, I held a public forum in Carthage as part of the Assembly Minority Task Force on Heroin Addiction and Community Response. The emotional and unblinking honesty in the testimony of those who are facing addiction, the parents who have lost children...

“It’s been a long time coming, but I am pleased to see the Women’s Equality Agenda signed into law. Women account for more than half the population of this state, yet, for years, the laws have not protected them equally. Through a bipartisan effort,...

“The decision made by the U.S. Court of Appeals flies in the face of our Second Amendment rights, despite our expectation the court would rule this way. I believe when this goes to the U.S. Supreme Court, justice will prevail in the favor of protecting...

This week, I’m taking a bit of a break from my usual columns about policy to remind my constituents that phone scammers will try anything to take advantage of us. Recently, my office had several calls from constituents raising their concerns over phone...

“The governor recently announced he is pledging more than $8 billion for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to spend on New York City subways and trains. According to reports, the state may need to borrow to keep this pledge, which would...

“Collectively, each house of the Legislature worked in a bipartisan manner to pass Women’s Equality legislation, which we all agreed was a major priority in 2015. We did our part to pass tougher human trafficking laws, domestic violence protection...

Never did I think we’d hear the words heroin epidemic within our own communities. Many associated the heroin epidemics of the 70s and 90s with the inner city. Yet, here we are with a heroin and opioid epidemic on our hands in the suburbs and rural communities...

New York’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently released a sobering report about the condition of New York’s infrastructure. Overall, New York received an embarrassing “C-” grade in the report. Our bridges, roads...

“The governor is delusional if he thinks he is going to get any groundbreaking overhaul of Common Core from his newly-formed education task force, which is essentially the same panel that developed our state’s Common Core standards in the first place....

I always appreciate how many of you reach out to me with your thoughts and concerns. There are many major state issues that affect you, from the economy to our children’s education. One issue my constituents often bring up supports the growth of the...

Our local sheltered workshops, like Production Unlimited in Jefferson County and the one operated by the Oneida-Lewis County ARC, play an important role in providing work, a place of community, a sense of contribution and belonging for many with developmental...

Upstate New York is facing serious struggles. Report after report during the summer showed that there were jobs lost upstate and taxpayers have been abandoning the state in droves. For so many years, the state has poured so much investment and attention...

The $1.5 billion Nano Utica project will have a large impact on our region, bringing in many high-tech and support-related jobs. The joint partnership with SUNY Polytechnic Institute and technology-driven companies Advanced Nanotechnology Solutions Incorporated...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) reacts favorably to the governor’s statement today acknowledging the poor implementation of Common Core standards, which parents and educators have been raising concerns over. Blankenbush, who held a public...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) is calling for more business-friendly policies affecting industries within the state. A recent study by the Tax Foundation, called “Location Matters,” compared the impact tax rates have on certain industries...

Many of us here in the North Country and Mohawk Valley rely on personal vehicles for transportation across this beautiful region. Trucks are used to transport goods in and agricultural products out. We rely on gasoline, which plays an important role in...