Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) has recently signed onto legislation that would incentivize private corporations to invest in rural businesses across the state. Assembly Bill 4772 would allow these corporations to receive tax credits for their investment in New York State agriculture. This legislation would also create a fund dedicated to the safety and well-being of New York’s Agriculture and Rural jobs.

“Upstate New York is significantly lagging behind New York City and the rest of the country in job creation and economic development,” said Blankenbush. “With much of the upstate economy being based around agriculture, legislation like Assembly Bill 4772 will encourage investors to take a chance on our existing rural businesses and stimulate growth in one of upstate’s most important industries. The creation of a ‘Rural Fund’ would also provide a safety net for protecting agriculture jobs and projects across the state.”

According to a recent study, employment upstate has only grown by approximately 2 percent during the current governor’s tenure, while downstate has seen a growth of 13 percent, and a national rate of 11 percent.