This year’s state budget process was especially challenging. Legislators and the governor had difficult decisions to make. Cuts had to be made. But, at the same time, we needed to look at what programs were worth investing in to help strengthen our...

Now that the snow has finally begun to melt, many of our recreational trails throughout the North Country will no longer be humming with the sounds of snowmobiles, but ATVs instead. ATVs are used by 1.9 million New Yorkers each year and are economically...

With spring just around the corner, maple syrup production is in full swing and farmers are busy getting prepared for planting. So it’s fitting that in March we celebrate many agriculture awareness days. From New York State Maple Weekends to Ag Literacy...

Here in Northern New York, hunting is a way of life. North Country residents are law-abiding citizens who jump through the state’s hoops to lawfully own a gun, either for personal protection or for sporting. However, each year, members of the Assembly’s...

New York State is often referred to as one of the most unfriendly states in the country to do business. From high taxes to burdensome regulations to bureaucratic mazes, small businesses and even large corporations continue to find it difficult to succeed...

With the release of Governor Cuomo’s executive budget last week, New Yorkers were presented with both good and bad news. The bad news: state spending must change in order to close the current $10 billion deficit. The good news: the governor and I agree...

Governor Cuomo unveiled his 2011-12 Executive Budget earlier this week, and while there is no question that this year’s budget will be radically different than its predecessors, the Executive Budget is a starting point, not the finish line. The...