(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Michael Montesano (R,C,I-Glen Head) today expressed frustration with the governor’s decision to veto the Veterans Buyback Bill for the second consecutive year in a row.
This critical legislation would allow public employees who are veterans of U.S. military service to buy back up to three years of state pension service credit. It would grant all public employees to be eligible if they had at least five years of actual service credit and were honorably discharged from military service, regardless of when or where they served. Under current law, many veterans who participated in active duty are wrongfully excluded from receiving this military service credit.
“Veterans across New York State have made tremendous sacrifices for all of us, so why is it so hard to give back to them?” said Montesano. “It’s time to get our states’ priorities in order. Rather than supporting initiatives for those who commit crimes or don’t work, we should be doing all we can to show our appreciation for the many brave men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our country’s freedoms. We must continue to push for legislation that offers all of our honorable veterans the benefits that they deserve.”
Despite being reintroduced with funding allocated for the measure, and having passed nearly unanimously in both legislative houses, the governor has once again vetoed the legislation just shy of Veterans Day.
