Assemblyman Scott Bendett (R,C-Sand Lake) hosted a Rural Equity Forum at the Rensselaer County Office Building in East Greenbush on Wednesday, Dec. 13. Speaking alongside him was Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R,C-Mohawk Valley and the Adirondacks) and those in attendance included town supervisors, village mayors, fire chiefs and other stakeholders. The purpose of this forum: to meet with as many state and local representatives as possible to discuss what the state could do differently to improve our rural communities in Rensselaer County and the rest of upstate New York.

“Our Rural Equity Forum yesterday was very successful, and I was so proud to be a part of an initiative so important to New York families living in more rural areas,” said Bendett. “Finding solutions that will help direct much-needed funding and resources to rural areas and municipalities is imperative so we can make sure the needs of both rural and urban regions of our state are being met. Hearing from so many concerned residents and public leaders in our community spoke volumes.

“I am excited to work with my fellow assemblymembers as we move into our next legislative session to address the concerns we’ve heard and find solutions that will revitalize our rural communities. The viewpoints and ideas discussed will allow us all to band together here in upstate New York and beyond to make sure our rural communities are not silenced. Too often, we have seen diversity, equity and inclusion in urban settings while rural areas are neglected—urban and rural communities simply do not share the same needs, and this was emphasized tenfold by our concerned residents.

“Thank you to everyone who attended our forum yesterday. Your voices have been heard: the one-size-fits-all approach that has been projected onto rural communities is not working, and it’s time for change. You will all be hearing from me in the near future with updates about the rural equity initiatives my Assembly colleagues and I will pursue,” Bendett concluded.