On June 17, legislators passed a bill to restore $90 million in funding to the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). The funding was initially cut from the budget earlier this year. Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River)...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) chastised Speaker Sheldon Silver for his refusal to introduce nine widely-supported women’s equality measures for a vote in the Assembly. There are nine points that have broad support in the legislature,...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) is pleased at the recent passage of the two percent ag assessment cap – similar to the two percent property tax cap – designed to curb the growing property taxes on family farms. New York farmers have...

“I am pleased that we did the right thing by restoring $90 million worth of funding to programs for the developmentally disabled. It was wrong of Albany to balance the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable. Fortunately, we passed a plan today that...

During a 15-year stretch, from 1993 to 2008, New York lost 627,735 jobs from company departures and closures. With the jobs went New Yorkers, with an average net loss of 50,500 residents annually. Making matters worse is New York’s recovery from the...

New York State is its own worst enemy when it comes to economic development and job growth. Let’s be honest, while the economic downturn has hurt everyone nationally, it has been felt more deeply and more profoundly in New York State. We have among...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River), the ranking Minority member on the Assembly Agriculture Committee, today joined a coalition of bi-partisan legislators to call on the Assembly to pass the two percent Ag Assessment Cap legislation to help...

Assemblymen Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) and Michael Montesano (R,I,C-Glen Head), ranking minority member on the Assembly Oversight, Analysis and Investigation Committee, held a legislative meeting about Gov. Cuomo’s gun control law in Watertown....

A farmer friend of mine once told me about one of his farm hands who would sing to his dairy cows. Let me tell you, these must have been the happiest cows in the North Country because they produced lots of milk for the dairy farm. When his employee became...

“From its conception, Gov. Cuomo’s gun control bill was a bad bill that my constituents and I deem a violation of our Second Amendment rights. It’s absurd that this ill-conceived law continues to need corrections four months later. In my eyes, the...

Upstate New York isn’t like the rest of the state. In fact, I would say that our region—the North Country and Mohawk Valley—is especially unique. It seems as though Albany has set out to define who and what we are. They seem to dominate the conversation,...

“New York City majority members have no business setting agricultural policy in our state, yet, annually they push forward the Farm Unionization Bill, which would kill our upstate agricultural economy. Even its sponsor could not answer clearly whether...

The impact of high taxes and a high cost of living is never lost on the middle-class family, but it certainly seems like Albany forgets how expensive it is to live here in this beautiful state. New York has a long-standing record of spending too much...

The Jefferson County board of legislators recently voted unanimously for a resolution voicing its opposition to a bill in the State Legislature proposing early voting for 14 days prior to a general election. Jefferson County estimates that it could cost...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) and the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) are encouraging residents to participate in RecruitNY weekend, a statewide open house program to attract new volunteers at local fire departments....

“While I am proud of the work my colleagues and I made to secure increased funding for agricultural programs, upstate schools and local highway improvement funds, I could not and still do not support this budget as a whole. I think leaders could have...

“In this budget, we see some important investments that will support our upstate economy and communities. I am especially pleased that after a lot of work and negotiations, our efforts to fight for better local agricultural aid were successful. We increased...

“Not only has the governor totally disregarded the Second Amendment rights of law- abiding New Yorkers with his gun control law to the tune of $36 million, he’s now counting on neighbors turning into tattletales with a ‘tip’ line and $500 bribe....

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River), Ranking Minority Member on the Assembly Agriculture Committee, led a group of legislators in a viral video campaign to promote family farms and an agenda that will support agriculture. Agriculture is the...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) was recently named to represent the Assembly Minority Conference for the Human Services portion of the Joint Budget Committee. The committee consists of state assembly members and senators who will negotiate...