For Release: Immediately, April 1, 2015

Contact:
Bernadette VanDeinse|(518) 455-5313

BLANKENBUSH: BUDGET STRONG ON AG, WEAK ON

WHAT MATTERS TO MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILES
Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) finished voting on
the 2015-16 State Budget noting that the final bills lacked any real
substance. Blankenbush supported landmark increases for Agriculture and
Market programs but rejected the budgets insufficient funding of schools and
failure to include middle-class tax breaks.
Although I am pleased by the significant increases for the agricultural
programs that support family farms in my district, I do not think this budget
went far enough to support middle-class working families, struggling school
districts, and cash-strapped municipalities, said Blankenbush. This budget
seems to have been slapped together in the eleventh hour without the care
and attention it deserved. Its clear that the three men in the room approach
isnt working in the best interests of the people of our state.
Blankenbush, ranking Republican on the Assembly Committee on
Agriculture, voted for the Aid to Localities portion of the enacted budget,
which includes a more than $4 million increase to state agricultural programs.
The approved funding saves several programs, including Northern New York
Agricultural Development, Maple Producers, the North Country Low Cost
Rabies Vaccine, and Dairy Profit Teams, among others. Additionally, there was
an increase in funding for the New York Farm Viability Institute.
Blankenbush, however, rejected portions of the budget, notably the
Education, Labor and Family Assistance bill, which included the questionable
Education Transformation Act and a watered-down version of ethics reform.
When it comes to our childrens education this is where I am most
disappointed in the budget not only are our schools still being
shortchanged, but we were presented with a regrettable version of education
reform that would do little to support our students and educators. The
governor and legislative leaders had a real opportunity to use the more than
$5 billion cash windfall to fully fund our schools, but they didnt,
Blankenbush said.
Blankenbush also expressed disappointment in the Capital Projects
portion of the budget in relation to infrastructure investment, While I am
pleased to see that funding is there to repair bridges, I think more of it should
have been used in cooperative partnership between the state and local
governments, rather than just in the control of the governor and his
agencies.
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