Press Releases

Assembly Majority Deliver Disappointment And Hypocrisy

I left Albany on the last day of session utterly disappointed with this year’s legislative session. I pride myself on being a fairly optimistic guy, but wow, I feel like the progress we made over the last few years was lost. We were just beginning to...

Statement From Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) On The Flooding In Oneida County

“I am very concerned for my constituents affected by the flash flooding in Oneida County. I already have reached out to Supervisor Robert Meelan of the Town of Kirkland and Mayor John Lane of the Village of Clinton to offer my support and assistance....

Blankenbush Comments on End Of Session Win For Upstate Agricultural Economy

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) today commented on the successful passage of the two percent agricultural assessment cap. The measure, which Blankenbush sponsored, lowers the assessment growth cap from 10 percent to two percent. New York...

Blankenbush To Assembly Majority: Let’s Do The Right Thing, Let’s Make Sure We Deliver Equality To New York’s Women

“I have always been supportive of passing women’s equality measures. Now is the time to set aside the political posturing and bring these common sense items to the Assembly floor for a vote like the Senate did today. The Senate is voting on nine important...

Blankenbush Comments On Successful Restoration Of OPWDD Funding

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)...

Blankenbush: Speaker, Women’s Equality Isn’t a Political Game

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,...

Blankenbush’s 2% Ag Assessment Cap Passes In Albany

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...

Blankenbush Votes To Restore Funding To Programs For Developmentally Disabled

“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...

The Best Thing Albany Can Do For New York’s Economy Is Step Aside

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...

Cap Ag Assessment Growth, Boost Upstate Economic Growth

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...

Blankenbush: Our Family Farmers Need A Break, Pass The Two-Percent Ag Assessment Cap Now

Photo as described in caption
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...

Blankenbush, County Officials Overwhelmingly Disapprove Of Cuomo’s Gun Control Law

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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....

Singing To The Cows?

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...

Blankenbush: Terrible Laws Can’t Be Fixed Piecemeal, Repeal Gov. Cuomo’s Gun Control Law Outright

“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...

What Is Upstate Strong?

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,...

Blankenbush Votes No On Farm Unionization Bill, Says It Would Set Back Upstate New York’s Economic Progress

“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...

New Yorkers’ Tax Freedom Day Keeps Getting Later And Later

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...

Costly Extended Voting An Excessive Unfunded Mandate On Counties

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...

Blankenbush, Firemen’s Association Urge Residents To Participate In RecruitNY Weekend

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....

Gov. Cuomo – If Your Budget Was Good In The First Place, You Wouldn’t Need To Sell It So Hard Upstate

“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...