Edward P. Ra - Assembly District 19 |Assembly Member Directory | New York State Assembly

Press Releases

Ra Recognizes Second Annual Transatlantic Flight Day

Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin) is proudly acknowledging the second annual ‘Transatlantic Flight Day.’ Last year’s resolution, which proclaimed May 20 as Transatlantic Flight Day, commemorates the date on which Lindbergh took flight aboard the Spirit...

Why I’m Voting Yes

To the Editor: I have been a resident of the Sewanhaka Central High School District my entire life. I have witnessed the dedication and commitment that the administrators, their staff, teachers, parents, and guardians have to our children. The vote...

Assemblyman Ra Comments On The Closing Of InBloom

Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) reacted today to the news that inBloom, the data service company responsible for collecting student data for New York State, is closing and ending its cloud-based services. This comes on the heels of the state ordering...

State Budget A Mixed Bag For Our Schools

Heading into this year’s final state budget deliberations, education was the hot-button issue. As we voted today to enact a budget, I feel we made some positive strides toward real reform, but missed an opportunity to really correct the flaws in our...

Ra: Assembly Budget Bill Fails Our Schools, Middle Class

Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) today voted against the Assembly Majority’s one-house budget resolution. Of paramount concern to Ra was that, despite an acknowledgement to close the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA), there was little long-term...

Ra: Board Of Regents Confirmations Continue The Status Quo

Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) voted against the Board of Regents nominees yesterday, citing the need for fresh voices in our education system in the wake of the debacle created by Common Core. Ra, the sponsor of the Assembly Minority Conference’s...

Ra Rejects Going Forward With Common Core

Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) today voted against a measure that would institute minor reforms and, instead, offered the APPLE Plan he helped author as an amendment. Based on the recommendations of the true stakeholders in our children’s education,...

Ra Presses Education Commissioner On Common Core

Wednesday, the Legislature held a budget hearing on education and, as Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Education Committee, Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) was an active participant. Providing testimony was state Commissioner of Education...

An Uncommon Plan For Our Schools

Over the past 12 months, there has been one education issue that stands out above all others: the flawed rollout and implementation of Common Core. Children, parents and educators alike all have spoken out about the high stress, frustration, anxiety and...

Common Core Changes, Fiscal Responsibility Should Dominate 2014 Budget

In his Executive Budget proposal for 2014-2015, Gov. Cuomo has outlined an ambitious agenda. While I have many questions about how we can provide meaningful tax and mandate relief, I look forward to reading further into the details laid out today. I’m...

Ra Talks Plan To Correct Flawed Common Core

Assemblyman Ed Ra has begun the 2014 Legislative Session with a specific goal in mind: reforming the flawed Common Core standards that have caused mass student and teacher disillusionment and frustration. Ra has hosted 11 statewide forums concerning this...

Education, Responsible Budget And Real Tax Relief Should Be State Priorities In 2014

In his State of the State address, Gov. Cuomo put forth several initiatives that he feels will best move our middle class and state forward in the years to come. While there is much we can work on together, there were several missed opportunities in the...

Ra Commends Governor For Directing Port Authority To Conduct Aircraft Noise Study

Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-19th District) expressed his gratitude to Governor Andrew Cuomo today for directing the Port Authority to conduct a study concerning aircraft noise over Long Island. Ra, who sponsored a similar measure that passed the Assembly and...

Ra, Colleagues Hold Second Public Forum To Address Flaws In Common Core

Photo as described in caption

Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) and several of his Long Island Assembly Minority colleagues recently held their second public forum to address New York’s Common Core curriculum. Held at SUNY Old Westbury, the legislators invited educators, parents...

Ra, Colleagues To Hold Forums On Common Core

Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) and several of his Long Island Assembly Minority colleagues will be holding a pair of forums on Long Island to discuss the Common Core program and its effect on local education. These are the first of a slate of statewide...

Long Island Assemblymen Host Meeting Organizing Groups To Help Troubled Youth

The Long Island Assembly Minority Delegation hosted a Youth Services Summit Roundtable at Farmingdale State College Campus. Members heard testimony from various representatives of local school districts, summer camps, counseling centers, charities, and...

Ra, Braunstein And Colleagues Host Press Conference For Airplane Noise Control Legislation

Assemblymen Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) and Edward Braunstein joined Senators Jack Martins and Kemp Hannon and several of their legislative colleagues at a press conference today in front of the New Hyde Park Village Hall to highlight their legislation,...

Ra Legislation to Address Noise Pollution Passes Assembly

Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-19th District), Assemblyman Brian Curran and Assemblywoman Michele Titus to address aircraft noise passed the Assembly. This bill, requiring the Port Authority to conduct an aircraft noise impact study, and...

Ra Legislation To Address Noise Pollution Reported Out Of Ways And Means

Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-19th District), Assemblyman Brian Curran and Assemblywoman Michele Titus to address aircraft noise cleared another hurdle today when it was reported out of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, meaning it...

Ra Legislation To Address Noise Pollution Reaches Assembly Floor

Legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-19th District) and Assemblywoman Michele Titus to address aircraft noise pollution passed the Assembly Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee today and will be reported to the Assembly Ways and...