The Federal Government has passed the CARES Act, which extends unemployment benefits. There is help for those who have had their employment interrupted by Covid-19.

Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C-Big Flats) is calling for the elimination of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and believes the responsibility should go to the State Liquor Authority or even local control. This comes after the New York State...

New York state's mandate to transition school buses to electric power has left many questions, and Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C-Big Flats) has voiced significant concerns over the feasibility and implications of this ambitious plan. With the...

Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C-Big Flats) and his Assembly and Senate colleagues recently held a rural equity forum in Bath, New York. Rural New York is essential to our state’s economy but receives little attention from state leaders. The forum...

Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C-Big Flats) objects to the Governor’s unilateral actions to create a $1 million sex worker health care program. The program would provide primary, sexual and behavioral health care and dental coverage. “Most law-abiding...

“State resources should not be used on a federal failure. SUNY Cobleskill and other campuses should be off-limits to housing migrants. It would be a total disruption to the activities and education that occurs year-round. Summer is a busy time for SUNY...

Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C-Big Flats) is calling on Majority lawmakers to work with Washington, D.C. to finally put in place reasonable measures to slow down the rate of migrants being released into the country. New York City has been inundated...

As state budget negotiations continue, Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C-Big Flats) is fighting for funding for several safety measures to address school safety. The assemblyman and his colleagues unveiled several recommendations from a report written...

Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C-Big Flats) is proposing significant changes to the Raise the Age law to ensure highly-violent 16- to 17-year-old criminal offenders are tried in the appropriate Youth Part of Superior Court, as opposed to being downgraded...

Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C-Big Flats), his legislative colleagues and local highway superintends today called for an increase in local road and bridge aid. They are fighting for a $200 million increase to the Consolidated Local Street and...

Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C-Big Flats) recently served breakfast to visiting students from FFA, formally known as Future Farmers of America, in Albany on their annual advocacy day. He and the students discussed ways to promote and improve agricultural...

Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R,C-Big Flats) is calling for the state Legislature to take action to restore judicial discretion in our courts to reverse increasing crime rates created by the 2019 bail reform law. According to a recent Siena College...

“I, along with many law-abiding New Yorkers, have been decrying the bail reform and its negative impacts on public safety in our communities. If Gov. Hochul truly wants to make New York safer, we must give judges judicial discretion. Public safety under...

Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats) is reiterating that New York is long overdue for effective oversight of the state’s generous economic development programs, which are funded at the expense of hardworking taxpayers. State Comptroller...

“New York needs to get emergency rental relief funds into the hands of those who are owed rent. Our small-to-medium-sized rental property owners have been doing all they can to stay afloat. The state has been slow to release these funds and another...

“I wish Kathy Hochul well as she takes on the mantel as governor. There is much work ahead to restore the broken trust of the public in their government, but I am ready to work with the governor to reform our government to best serve the people of New...

“Andrew Cuomo, by stepping down, is doing the right thing for our state; we need to move forward and have an executive not mired down by multiple serious scandals which are being investigated by the Assembly. Still, these brave women deserve their day...

Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats) is encouraging voters to participate in an upcoming virtual public hearing to be held by the Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) on August 9 at 2 p.m. Those interested may register or submit testimony...

Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats) is co-sponsoring legislation which would prohibit state agencies from imposing mask mandates on children unless they are exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. The assemblyman points to the state’s successful...