Press Releases

Friend: Budget Process An Improvement, But More Work Still Needed To Stimulate Growth And Ease Mandates

Assemblyman Chris Friend (R-Big Flats) was pleased by the positive turn taken in the successful passage of an early state budget. The late-night deal-making and closed-door sessions so typical of Albany politics were avoided in this year’s transparent...

Majority’s Budget Fails On Major Issues

The one-house budget resolution put forth by the Assembly majority contains several provisions which would enhance the quality of life for our residents and New Yorkers in general. However, their proposal is, in general, a failure on nearly every issue...

Friend And Palmesano Urge Attendance At Sportsmen And Outdoor Recreation Legislative Awareness Day

Assemblymen Chris Friend (R – Big Flats) and Phil Palmesano (R, C, I – Corning) would like to encourage area hunters and outdoorsmen to attend the third annual Sportsmen and Outdoor Recreation Legislative Awareness Day, to be held in the Legislative...

Friend Reminds Residents Of Flood Recovery Grant Application Deadline

Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R-Big Flats) is urging small business owners, non-profit organizations, farmers and owners of multiple dwellings that sustained direct physical flood-related damage from Tropical Storm Lee to apply for a grant from...

Friend Welcomes $150,000 For Tioga County

Assemblyman Chris Friend (R – Big Flats) is pleased by Governor Cuomo’s recent announcement that New York’s Department of State is issuing another round of grant money to support local communities devastated by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm...

Assemblyman Friend Sponsors Legislation To Help Ease The Pain Of Parents Of Stillborn Children

Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R–Big Flats) voted yesterday in favor of his sponsored legislation which would help ease the pain of parents of a stillborn child by allowing for the issuance of a posthumous birth certificate for these children. “One...

Friend: Assembly Passes Legislation To End Burdensome Insurance Mandate, Urges Senate To Follow

Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R-Big Flats) this week voted in favor of Assembly bill 5502, which will end the practice of health insurance companies requiring that patients purchase prescribed drugs through a mail-order pharmacy. “This mandate...

Friend Votes Down Costly Medical Liability Measure

Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R- Big Flats) this week voted against legislation that would increase medical liability insurance costs in New York. Assembly bill 694-A, which enacts the Patient Privacy Protection Act, prohibits the defending party from...

Ethics Bill Is a Small Step Toward True Reform

I voted today in favor of the Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011, which contains the necessary reforms to make government and elected officials more accountable to the people that they represent. Governor Cuomo has touted this bill as important and historic....

Friend Attends Dairy Day Event

Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R- Big Flats) today attended the Assembly Minority’s Dairy Day, joining colleagues and representatives of New York’s dairy industry. Attendees were treated to delicious complimentary samples of milk, cheese, yogurt...

Friend Votes Down Job-Killing, Anti-Drilling Legislation

Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R- Big Flats) yesterday spoke in opposition to legislation that would place a moratorium on issuing any new permits for gas or oil drilling using hydraulic fracturing. The legislation could potentially close 14,000 wells...

Friend: Wine In Grocery Stores Can Be Beneficial To All

Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R- Big Flats) this week joined state lawmakers at a roundtable discussion about the sale of wine in New York grocery stores. Legislation has been introduced in both the state Senate and Assembly to allow for the sale of...

Web Site Gives Public Opportunity To Suggest Ways To Make Government More Efficient

Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R- Big Flats) wants New Yorkers to take advantage of the opportunity to submit their ideas on how to streamline government. Governor Cuomo has launched the Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission’s web site...

Friend: Wasteful Practices Cost Taxpayers

Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R- Big Flats) is appalled by recent reports and articles that uncovered a costly, complex, and inefficient bureaucracy in charge of Albany’s $3 billion government operations budget. The state Office of General Services...

Mandate Relief - A Need That’s Not Going Away

Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R- Big Flats) today reiterated the need for mandate relief for schools and local governments. The issue has recently taken a backseat to property taxes, despite the direct connection between high property taxes and unfunded...

Koch Phone Calls Another ‘Ringing’ Endorsement Of A Broken System

Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R- Big Flats) is appalled at former New York City Mayor Ed Koch’s shameless political attacks against lawmakers who refuse to support Sheldon Silver’s politically-biased redistricting plan. Friend is a co-sponsor of...

Friend Welcomes West Point Cadets

Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R- Big Flats) today welcomed cadets from the United States Military Academy at West Point. The cadets were in attendance as part of the Assembly’s West Point Day that honors the young men and women who dedicate themselves...

The Budget Is The Beginning

The budget merges agencies, catalyzes economic development, and provides for efforts to right-size and curb the cost of government. These bills do not contain the sweeping reforms expected, but they do address many of the harsh realities facing New York....

Irresponsible Spending and Cradle-To-Grave Taxation

Instead of dealing with New York’s harsh fiscal realities, the Assembly Majority passed a budget that raises taxes by $4.9 billion, approves $1 billion in new spending, and does little to address long-term spending. The budget also fails to provide...

Friend Meets With Local Library Advocates

Photo as described in caption
Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R- Big Flats) met with a group representing the Southern Tier Library System. The group came to Albany as part of the New York Library Association’s Library Day to protest the governor’s budget cuts to libraries. Friend...