My assembly district is a beautiful part of New York State comprised of several small communities, rural areas and thousands of acres of working forests in the Tug Hill region. The network of roads is a real challenge for our highway superintendents,...

My meetings with constituents throughout the month of April had a prevailing theme: they were all about the volunteers, professionals and donors involved in saving lives. We are so fortunate to be here in America, and more specifically, in upstate New...

Our upstate communities and citizens are struggling due to Albany’s unfunded state mandates. Unfunded mandates are the numerous policies and programs that Albany forces our communities to implement and pay for, regardless of need or want. The New...

Many families were hit by high home energy bills this winter, and whatever the reason behind it, it hurts our wallets. Many of you have called my office concerned about this recent price spike, and I share your concerns. I am joining Sen. Griffo to call...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) and Tom King, President of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association (NYSRPA), today blasted the Assembly Majority who recently blocked three of the assemblyman’s bills to repeal Gov. Cuomo’s so-called...

It is exciting to see that agriculture is getting the respect, attention and funding it deserves. As your representative and ranking minority member of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, I have been working diligently to raise the issues and concerns...

“When voting on the budget, I kept the needs of my constituents in mind. I voted to save and support many programs that improve education and the economy, and opposed measures that abuse public dollars. “Education, which impacts nearly every New...

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) voted today to pass $532 million in tax relief for New Yorkers in the 2014-15 Budget. The bill outlined multiple tax relief measures impacting manufacturing; tax relief to help family-owned businesses and...

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...