APRIL 29th 2014 - A Great Day In Albany for Veterans

Thanks to Don Nance for the photos of some highlights of a great  day at the capital in support of A6974 and S4714 (Military Service Credit to ALL Veterans)

Morning meeting with fellow vets and union officers just prior to deploying to the Capital building.

Successful committee vote moving A6974 out of Governmental Affairs into Ways and Means

Assemblywoman Paulin (Original Sponsor, A6974) makes an impassioned speech to the press and others following the successful vote moving A6974 out of the Governmental Employees Committee  to Ways and Means. She repeatedly and eloquently made the points that current military service credit statutes are both arbitrary and out-of-date...and that military service people do not choose where they serve. She is a great! By the end of the day 77Assemblypersons were signed on as co-sponsors.  She was joined by several of A6974's co-sponsors who spoke out strongly in support also! Thanks to all.

This photo is from Assemblywoman Paulin's own website and the following is the accompanying writeup:

Albany – Assemblywoman Amy Paulin [D-88] hosted a press conference Tuesday afternoon in the Capitol to discuss her bill that would amend the veteran’s pension buyback program [A6974/S4714].

The bill would remove the dates of service requirements from the military pension buyback program. The program allows State employees to buy back up to three years of pension credit after five years of employment if they served in the military and received an honorable discharge.

The law currently lists specific dates targeting those who were in combat but does not limit the buyback to combat veterans. While better than 90 percent of veterans of declared wartime do not see active combat, they still benefit from the law as it is currently structured. However, under the current law, no vets that served after February 28, 1991 are eligible for the buy back. This includes those who served in Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

“This is about the equal and fair treatment that all veterans deserve,” Paulin said. “If you are in the armed services, you are called upon to put your life on the line at a moment’s notice. That, above all else, entitles you to certain things. The pension buyback is one such program. To put restrictions on when you can participate in the pension buyback program is not acceptable.

“The people who serve do so voluntarily and we need to do everything we can to show our appreciation for their service to this country. They are the ones who are called upon to protect us. It is up to us to protect them as well whenever possible.”

The bill currently has 75 Assembly cosponsors and 37 Senate sponsors. Senator William Larkin [R-39] is the primary Senate sponsor. The bill has drawn the support of Jewish War Veterans, The Transit Workers Union, the AFL-CIO, New York State Council of Vietnam War Veterans of America, The Public Employees Federation and the NYS Association of PBAs.


Note from the Veteran State Employee: The American Legion is fully on board too (see below post).