Speaker Carl Heastie and AM Kelles tour the new state-of-the-art teen center at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) on a district tour Oct. 11.

From left, Assemblymember Anna Kelles, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Ithaca Mayor Rob Cantalmo, GIAC Director Leslyn McBean-Clairborne and Ithaca City Manager Deb Mohlenhoff, stand in front of the architectural renderings at GIAC at a celebration Oct. 11.

April 15, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles and environmental advocates deliver a letter to the Governor calling on her to swiftly sign the bill to Ban Carbon Dioxide Fracking (A8866/S8357) into law.

April 15, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles speaks at a rally in Albany in solidarity with immigrants and in support of A5686 The New York for All Act,A4354 the Dignity Not Detention Act, and A0170 the Access to Representation Act.

April 5, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles cuts the ribbon to officially open the staircase at the Cortland County Courthouse.Assemblymember Kelles secured over $4 million in NYS funding for repairs to the 100-year-old building, including repair of the crumbling steps, repair of the dome, and upgrade of the inefficient HVAC system.

March 27, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles speaks at a rally of over 400 youth advocating for the Climate, Jobs, and Justice legislative package.

March 27, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles spends time visiting the animals at the Rural Resource Fair, an event at the Legislative Office Building in Albany that highlights rural interests, including agriculture, education, and energy.

March 25, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles speaks at a rally in support of adequately funding home care workers and services in the FY 2025 budget and in support of A8470 the Home Care Savings and Reinvestment Act.

March 20, 2024, Assemblymember Kelles speaks at a press event in Albany advocating for increases to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) in the FY 2025 budget. TAP is a critical form of NYS financial aid to help make college more affordable for families and adult students.

March 15, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles celebrates the 2024 Women of Distinction Award recipients from the district at a reception at her Ithaca district office.

March 5, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles speaks at a press event in support of her legislation A8866 that would expand New York’s ban on fracking to include carbon dioxide fracking for oil and gas extraction.

March 1, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles joins Governor Hochul, Senator Webb, and officials from the Village of Groton to celebrate Groton winning a $4.5 million NY Forward grant to revitalize the downtown area.

February 27, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles greets attendees at a rally in Albany in support of reduction in plastic use and bills A5322 Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act and S237B the Bigger Better Bottle Bill.

February 13, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles poses a question during the FY25 budget hearings.

February 6, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles hosts a press event in Albany in support of her sponsored legislation A7630 the Care Reproductive Equity (CARE) Act that set standards for pre- and post-natal care for pregnant incarcerated individuals, ensuring safety and positive health outcomes for babies born to incarcerated mothers.

February 6, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles speaks at a press conference in Albany in support of a legislative package aimed to remove PFAS or “forever chemicals” from products.

February 2, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles nominated The Cortland Standard for the NYS Historic Business Preservation Registry and celebrates the newspaper’s successful inclusion with Evan Giebel (publisher), NYS Parks staff Michael Roets, and City of Cortland Mayor Scott Steve.

January 30, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles serves as a member of the Assembly Corrections Committee and is the prime sponsor of the Earned Time Act (A1128). She attended a rally in Albany in support of sentencing reform bills, including the Second Look Act(S.321/A.531), Earned Time Act (S.774/A.1128) and the Eliminate Mandatory Minimums Act (S.6471/A.2036).

January 24, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles hosts a press conference in Albany with Senate and Assembly colleagues and advocates in support of her sponsored legislation A4333 The Fashion Act that would set environmental and labor standards for the fashion industry.

January 23, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles speaks at a rally in Albany in support of the NY HEAT Act. The Act would cap utility rates at 6% of income for low-to-moderate income households, saving households money, and ending subsidies to gas utilities.

January 22, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles speaks at a press event in Albany calling for an on-time closure in 2025 of the Seneca Meadows, Inc. landfill and in support of legislation to reduce our waste production and reliance on landfill space.

January 18, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles hosted, in partnership with Senator Lea Webb, the Public Utility Law Project and local organizations, a utility assistance event in Cortland to connect residents to programs and resources to lower their utility bills and to weatherize their homes.

January 16, 2024: Assemblymember Kelles speaks at a press conference in support of the Medical Aid in Dying Act (A0995).

December 12, 2023: Assemblymember Kelles and her team collected donated wrapping paper and supplies from the community. As a community reuse project, all district residents were invited to an open house to wrap their holiday presents for free with the supplies.

December 9, 2023: Assemblymember Kelles offers remarks at the “Open Books Open Minds” panel at Tompkins County Public Library speaking in opposition to book bans that in schools and libraries across the country.

November 11, 2023: Assemblymember Kelles celebrates with the Varna Fire Department at their annual banquet, recognizing their growth as a volunteer department and service to the community.

October 10, 2023: Assemblymember Kelles officially opens her new Ithaca District Office on the Ithaca Commons with Senator Lea Webb and local leaders in attendance.

October 2, 2023: Assemblymember Kelles celebrates with Dryden Town officials that her sponsored legislation A1260 was signed into law by Governor Hochul. The new law allows municipalities, like Dryden, to offer and grow municipal broadband and to bond for construction costs, allowing expansion of high speed internet to underserved areas.

September 29, 2023: Assemblymember Kelles, along with Assemblymember Donna Lupardo and Sen. Lea Webb, visit Hollenbecks Cider Mill in Cortland County as part of an agricultural tour of the district, coordinated by Cornell Cooperative Extension.

September 29, 2023: Assemblymember Kelles visits EZ Acres Dairy Farm in Cortland County as part of an agricultural tour of the district, coordinated by Cornell Cooperative Extension.

September 28, 2023: Assemblymember Kelles hosts Sen. Peter Harckham, Chair of the Senate Committee on Environmental Conservation, at Ithaca ReUse during his tour of the state to discuss environmental priorities. Waste reduction and building the circular economy have been key priorities for Ithaca and the district.

September 27, 2023: Assemblymember Kelles speaks to a representative from Cortland Biomedical at the “How It’s Made” Manufacturing Expo at Tompkins County Community College. The event brings area industries together with high school youth to promote career opportunities in technical trades and manufacturing in the district.

September 20, 2023: Assemblymember Kelles celebrates United Way Day of Caring in Cortland County with Executive Director Christella Yonta. The day brings together volunteers for a day of community service projects and distributes food donations to area pantries.

September 15, 2023: Assemblymember Kelles celebrates with Senator Lea Webb, Ithaca Carshare staff, and the community in Ithaca that her sponsored legislation A5718 was signed into law by Governor Hochul.The new law allows nonprofit transportation organizations, like Ithaca Carshare, to obtain the insurance they need to stay in operation through a risk retention group.

September 15, 2023: Assemblymember Kelles, along with Sen. Lea Webb and transportation leaders, celebrate the passage of bill A5718, which saved Ithaca Carshare. As auto insurers were leaving the market, the bill allows non-profits, like Ithaca Carshare or Gadabout, to obtain the auto insurance they need through risk retention groups domiciled outside of NY.