Patty Ritchie's Press releases

DMV had denied mother’s tribute to her fallen son

State Senator Patty Ritchie today returned two “Gold Star Mother” license plates to an elderly Central New York woman who was forced to surrender them to Motor Vehicles officials who said she couldn’t keep them as a tribute to her only son, killed in Vietnam.

Ethel Barnes proudly displayed the plates, bearing the distinctive number “46,” to honor and remember her only son, Robert, who died in 1967. DMV required her to turn in the plates when she said she would no longer be driving, denying her request to keep one as part of a family memorial she had planned for her son.

Agreement on property tax relief ‘caps’ year when Albany started working again

The 2011 legislative session, my first as the State Senator representing Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties, will be remembered as the year Albany started working again.

Partnering with our new Governor, Andrew Cuomo, we kept our promise to reduce taxes and spending, and took the first steps toward putting New York on a new path to better jobs and a stronger economy.

We passed an on-time budget and historic ethics reform to rebuild New Yorkers’ trust and confidence in their government and elected officials.

We “capped” it all off with a two-percent property tax cap that provides certainty and relief to homeowners and businesses, and will stop the flow of families, businesses and jobs out of New York.

Long-delayed change in payment rules could help preserve health care in the Thousand Islands   State Senator Patty Ritchie today announced Senate passage of a bill she cosponsored that helps secure the future of rural hospitals like River Hospital in Alexandria Bay, and Clifton Fine Hospital in Star Lake.

The bill, S.5431-A, will require the state to pay rural “critical access hospitals” for their actual costs of providing services, instead of relying on reimbursement formulas that currently leave the facilities shortchanged.

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, Senator Patty Ritchie and representatives from Fort Drum today met with Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy and New York State Police representatives to make the case for locating an Air Medical Services helicopter at Fort Drum. The meeting was arranged by the governor’s office at the request of Assemblyman Blankenbush.  The meeting came just hours before the Senate was expected to pass Senator Ritchie's bill S.4712, legislation that will cut red tape to help recruit a commercial air ambulance service to Northern New York to provide the north country with another option in its efforts to provide an medical air evacuation service to the region.

Canadian Senator Says Treatment Of U.S. Fisherman 'Outrageous'

State Senator Patty Ritchie and Ontario Senator Robert Runciman are asking Canadian officials to investigate the treatment of a U.S. fisherman who had his boat seized for straying into Canadian waters near Gananoque.

"When I heard about this incident, I immediately contacted Senator Runciman, who has been working with me on border issues. I knew he would work with me to make sure Canada's top officials were aware and took appropriate action," Senator Ritchie said. "We need to continue to work together to encourage residents on both sides of the border to enjoy what both of our nations have to offer."

Prevents Disruption While Families Mourn Fallen Heroes

State Senator Patty Ritchie said a measure she cosponsored that received final legislative approval will help prevent protesters from disrupting military funerals, burials and memorial services.

“When our military families gather to mourn and bid farewell to our fallen heroes, New York State owes it to them to protect them from those who would insult their sacrifice by exploiting these solemn occasions to stage protests and publicity stunts,” Senator Ritchie said. “By using the same kind of regulations that currently allow us to protect parades and demonstrations, we can insure that constitutional free speech rights are protected while grieving families are allowed to pay their final goodbyes to loved ones who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Seeks to treat ‘sugar bush’ as farms, not factories

State Senator Patty Ritchie (R-C, Heuvelton) today announced passage of another of her bills that cuts the red tape on farmers, and will help spur continued growth for New York’s maple syrup industry.

Senator Ritchie’s bill, S. 5499, exempts maple producers from strict industrial pollution rules that threaten to derail the growth of this important agricultural sector, which currently is valued at $13 million in 2010, with strong potential for explosive growth.

Mavericks Coach Joins Rare Club of NBAers With Rings as Both Player and Coach

The State Senate today honored St. Lawrence County native Rick Carlisle for leading the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA championship—and his second professional basketball title.

The Senate on Wednesday approved a formal resolution recognizing Carlisle for his accomplishments.

Carlisle hails from Lisbon, where he was a regular sight on the hardwood and blacktop courts of his youth. His parents continue to reside there.

“I’ve had the privilege to watch Rick Carlisle from his earliest years as a scrappy ball handler on the courts of St. Lawrence County to his career as champion player and coach,” said Senator Ritchie.

Senate OKs Package of Bills to Ease Regulations, Help Farms, Businesses

State Senator Patty Ritchie continued her assault on needless bureaucratic red tape, announcing that the Senate today has passed of package of bills she sponsored to reduce regulations on Central and Northern New York businesses.

The measures included a bill, drafted in conjunction with the state Agriculture Commissioner, that will ease some regulations that could impact Fort Drum.

“I ran for the Senate to bring common sense to Albany, and that includes cutting outdated and needless red tape that makes it tougher for businesses to create jobs, and communities to thrive,” Senator Ritchie said. “Taken together, these bills are yet another signal of the change in attitude in Albany that says ‘jobs first,’ and puts people ahead of the needs of government.“I will continue to work to find ways to ease the regulatory burden on businesses and help our economy and our communities grow stronger,” senator Ritchie said.