This weekend, I will be joining Shawn Massey at Massey Ranch in Watertown and Vernon-Verona-Sherrill School’s Future Farmers of America in Oneida County to help tap the first trees of the season. For me, the annual ritual of maple tree tapping ushers...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) is launching Children Before Politics, a website that would enable state residents to speak up about education in New York. Blankenbush and his colleagues hope the petition on the website will allow the...

I was pleased to see that the Senate included a provision in its one-house budget to legalize registration of larger-sized ATVs. It is my hope that the Assembly will soon follow suit. The outdated size and weight limits and the inability for New Yorkers...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) recently spoke at an event held at Harden Furniture, a company that has reaped the benefits of the ReCharge NY program. ReCharge NY, a program which Blankenbush helped to enact, provides low-cost energy...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) today met with officials from Ft. Drum and state legislators to discuss how the state can better assist the Army base. Ft. Drum is one of the largest employers of both military and civilian staff in upstate...

“Our libraries play an important role in supporting the education of our youth, and enriching our adults and communities. I want to be sure they are properly funded. The Assembly Majority, who are proposing cuts to our libraries, need to compromise...

The Assembly Majority’s Common Core plan is like junk food compared to the educational reform measures found in the Achieving Pupil Preparedness and Launching Excellence (APPLE) Plan. The rollout of the Common Core Standards in New York highlighted...

“I call on my legislative colleagues to change the way we select our Board of Regents representatives. Citizens want more openness from their government and, now more than ever, we need complete transparency in electing New York State’s Board of Regents. “Legislators...

The implementation of the Common Core Standards has not only created a crisis in our educational system, but it also highlighted deficiencies that have long been ignored in Albany. New York legislators can sit idly by or create a better educational system...

“Last night, the Assembly and I passed measures that reform the testing components of Common Core. This legislation addresses the use of test results in teacher and principal evaluation and student placement, encourages further teacher and professional...

Today, Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) joined several Assembly members and Senators in a bipartisan effort to encourage passage of the “21st Century Education Initiative” during this legislative session. Blankenbush is one of the...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) today met with highway superintendents to push for more funding to repair local roads. Blankenbush is calling for an additional $50 million to be added to the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program (CHIPs). “New...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) is moving his district office to 40 Franklin Street, Suite 2 in Carthage on Monday, March 10. The office can be reached by phone at 493-3909 or by fax at 493-4045. “To better accommodate my constituents,...

Recently, the governor announced his plans to give imprisoned criminals a free college education paid by law-abiding taxpayers like you and me. This policy is out of touch with hardworking New Yorkers. The governor says his plan will save taxpayer...

It seems that folks in Albany really don’t get it. Communities large and small are struggling under the crushing burden of state unfunded mandates. Unfunded mandates are those programs and policies the state imposes on our local governments and schools,...

“The governor’s recent proposal to give taxpayer-funded college educations to incarcerated criminals is a slap in the face to hardworking, law-abiding New Yorkers. This push demonstrates that our governor has forgotten the many families who are scrimping...

The Assembly Majority leadership has failed New Yorkers by letting important welfare fraud reform legislation, known as the Public Assistance Integrity Act, fall by the wayside. The federal government made it very clear: New York and other states are...

While the governor may claim he is prioritizing upstate New York’s needs, we’re seeing quite the opposite as he is, yet again, making large cuts to the state’s agricultural development and support programs to the tune of nearly $2.7 million. Of...

Recently, my Assembly Minority colleagues and I unveiled the Achieving Pupil Preparedness and Launching Excellence (APPLE) Plan, which is aimed at reforming the implementation of Common Core in New York State. The plan was developed using testimony and...

"I am disappointed to hear the news that the Carthage Area Hospital will be cutting jobs. Just as we secured state funding to help the hospital implement cost- and job-saving measures, it was dealt another blow by the reductions in reimbursement...