ALBANY – Assemblyman Clifford W. Crouch (R-Bainbridge) called on the legislature to override Governor Cuomo’s veto of a veterans’ benefit bill (A.8174-A/S.5937) that would provide military veterans enrolled in the public retirement system the option to buy back pension credits.

Crouch again questioned the governor’s priorities after he had vetoed the bill before Veterans Day last year, because the bill lacked a method of paying for the program; this year’s bill included a payment mechanism but was still vetoed.

“At the end of last year, the governor vetoed this legislation, calling it an unfunded mandate. We amended the legislation to include a way of paying for the program and sent it back to him to sign and he still rejects it,” said Crouch. “The priorities that this governor has chosen to elevate over the concerns and benefits of our veterans are truly shocking. I think everyone would agree that we should be doing everything that we can to provide our military men and women with every tool that we can afford them for serving our nation, regardless of when or how they served. We must do more to give our veterans the benefits they have rightfully earned. The legislature overwhelmingly supported this measure, so now, the only appropriate course of action is to override the veto.”