“Obviously, there was a lot for our Conference to hate in this year’s budget. As the party of the hardworking middle class in New York, Minority politicians were never going to support a budget that raised taxes by billions of dollars, prevents...

“The fact that the Assembly Majority members would vote to raise taxes by billions of dollars while gutting millions in local assistance funding for farmers shows how out of touch they are. We’re going to fight this as hard as we can,”...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers, hundreds of local highway officials and representatives from key local government groups to rally for an increased investment in our state’s deteriorating roads,...

“When the Majority members pass gun control laws that trample all over our Second Amendment Rights, they do so under the guise of “safety.” Yesterday’s legislation referenced “safe storage.” It sounds good, right?  The...

In the coming weeks, the office of Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) will be holding mobile office hours in Camden, Lowville, Gouverneur and Westmoreland. He’s eager to hear from the people of the 117th District, and he wants to learn...

“I’m proud of municipal officials and my colleagues in the Legislature for convincing the governor that millions in needless cuts to local governments would cause serious harm to New Yorkers across the state. As towns and villages across Upstate...

“It never made sense to offer the richest man in the world billions of dollars in corporate welfare to locate his company in the most prosperous city in America. If the governor offers the same incentives and tax relief to hardworking men and women...

“These extreme bills today will make it more difficult for school districts to hire security officials and resource officers, erode due process protections and infringe on constitutional rights. Today, the speaker of the Assembly said he doesn’t...

            “Handing out free tuition aid to illegals when the average recent college grad is walking around this state with nearly $40,000 of debt is an insult. Hardworking citizens sacrificed, saved and bet on themselves...

“In my district, we need real change. What we’re hearing from the governor is more of the same- new spending, new handouts and new progressive programs that might work for New York City but don’t work for middle-class people here. “In...

“While things might be going well in New York City, too many families Upstate are living paycheck to paycheck. Too many dairy farms have closed, too many small businesses have shut their doors and too many people have moved to states with better...

Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb recently named Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) as the chairman of the Minority conference’s Steering Committee. Kolb also appointed the veteran lawmaker to two new committee posts. Blankenbush...

“Following a check-up this spring, I recently underwent a routine, preventative vascular procedure. I’m feeling healthy and enjoying a speedy recovery. I’ll be back to work full-time very soon. I want to thank Assemblyman Cliff Crouch for encouraging...

In the coming weeks, the office of Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) will be holding mobile office hours in Lowville, Westmoreland, Gouverneur and Camden. He knows how important it is to hear from the people of the 117th District, and he...

“Since Schneiderman resigned, it’s been my position that the people of New York State should choose the next attorney general on Election Day in November. I have every confidence that Barbara Underwood will continue to lead the office effectively...

“Today, I was pleased to vote in favor of legislation to decouple student standardized test performance from teacher evaluations. Sound education policy empowers teachers to treat each student as an individual. Over-emphasizing these exams turns teachers...

The Mohawk Valley Nine, a bipartisan coalition of state legislators representing Herkimer, Madison and Oneida counties, held its initial caucus meeting of the year earlier this week. The meeting touched on a wide range of topics, including education,...

“People in the North Country have had enough. So many of our young people are unable to buy first homes or afford a car payment because they’re being crushed by student loans. Our middle-class families and small businesses are dealing with some of...

“Yesterday, Empire State Development CEO Howard Zemsky delivered testimony during a joint budget hearing. He claimed that he ‘couldn’t be more comfortable’ with the oversight of the state’s economic development programs. ...

During the month of February, Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) will be holding office hours in Lowville and Gouverneur. He knows how important it is to hear from the people of the 117th District, and he wants to hear about their priorities...