As the budget negotiations concluded, one thing became abundantly clear: the absolute need for ethics reforms and transparency in government operations. Through this entire process the legislature was kept completely in the dark. This is not how a democracy...

“Budget season is one of the most important times of each legislative year, yet the lack of transparency is more glaring than ever. Ethics reforms continue to be a nonstarter for the Assembly Majority and it is no shocker that they have left any sort...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) announced today that the 117th Assembly District will host a Citizen Preparedness Corps training class. This class will be held this Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. at the Florence Volunteer Fire...

With the recent passage of the Assembly Majority’s one-house budget proposal, it’s obvious there is something wrong going on in Albany. Their budget wish list proposed near doubling the state spending cap yet decreased funding for some of upstate’s...

“Today, I voted in support of the Assembly’s rules reform resolution. This vote, however, was done with a grain of salt. The Assembly Majority failed once again to place any sort of pension forfeiture or term limit reforms in its proposal. After a...

This week, the New York State Assembly passed Speaker Heastie’s ethics reform bill to limit outside income of members of the Assembly. This bill will limit the outside income of Assembly members to $77,000 in addition to their base Assembly salary in...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) attended a press conference yesterday regarding the proposed increase of the state’s minimum wage and the disastrous consequences an increase would have on the state’s economy. The event, held by the...

“Once again, upstate looks to have drawn the short end of the stick and will have to fight for the funding we deserve. I am disappointed to see the Assembly has ignored our call for unfunded mandate relief. New York is already one of the highest taxed...

“I am pleased Director of Veteran’s Affairs, Eric Hesse, has finally acknowledged the need for licensing application reform. It is past time we make this happen. Current New York State law requires military spouses relocated to New York to relicense...

The warmer weather rolling through the state this week was a friendly reminder that spring is, indeed, right around the corner. This Sunday marks the beginning of National Agriculture Week, and grants us the opportunity to really consider how important...

It’s safe to say we all want the best for our children and grandchildren. We want them to grow up in a vibrant, safe and successful community. We want them to fulfill their dreams and get good jobs. We want to instill in them certain values and a strong...

“We need a coordinated effort between local and county officials to determine the source of the water contamination in the towns of Pitcairn and Greig, one that also includes the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Environmental Conservation...

Maintaining the Status Quo, by definition, is to keep the current or existing social and political values as is. This is precisely how the Assembly Majority of New York State operates. A majority of the people in New York are fed up with how this state...

Editor’s Note: Please click here for the original article “Yesterday, Gov. Cuomo held an hour long press-conference with upstate editorial boards. In this press conference, he admitted that downstate legislative leadership was looking to do away...

Unfunded mandates are a prime example of the overreach and carelessness being carried out by our governor and the Assembly Majority. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept of unfunded mandates, they are state-ordered programs placed on local communities...

New York is home to two of the largest state university systems in the entire country. This widespread access to higher education is one of the many things that makes this state so special. In recent years, however, the cost of college has continued to...

Today, Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I – Black River) offered his support for the Assembly Minority’s plan to better prepare students for the workforce as well as combat rising costs of tuition for higher education. “For years, the cost...

There are many competing infrastructure needs in our state, and we must carefully examine and plan how public dollars will be invested. The most pressing needs are often overlooked because they aren’t the flashy attention-getting projects. Let’s face...

It’s time to have an open dialogue about the very daunting but extremely real issue plaguing our communities: the heroin epidemic. It’s difficult to believe that heroin has snuck its way into our quiet neighborhoods, but the unfortunate reality is...

**Editor’s note – click here for a .mp4 file of Assemblyman Blankenbush speaking after today’s press conference** Today, at a press conference in Albany, Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) and his colleagues in the Assembly Minority...