New York Has Massive Changes Coming for Veterans

Today is Veterans Day. It's a day set aside by America top honor the brave men and women who have laid everything on the line to protect this country.

Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Unfortunately, today's veterans don't seem to receive the amount of respect they deserve outside of this holiday, which is why New York is implementing new legislation to ensure that never happens again in the state.

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Veterans Employment

The first legislation to be passed was Legislation S2623A/A4751A. This will require the Department of Veterans’ Services to be more open about employment opportunities across the state for veterans, ensuring more can find work that they are comfortable with.

In addition, local veterans’ services agencies must inform all veterans about job availability under section 55-c of the civil service law.

Veterans Benefits

The next piece of legislation to be passed is Legislation S8150/A8476, which is meant to safeguard benefits for veterans from pension poaching and theft. The legislation accomplishes this by raising the penalty for offenders, and developing a veteran's service fund, that would compile the penalty money paid into grants for veteran's service organizations.

Purple Heart State

Lastly, Legislation S1889/A29 was passed, designating New York as a "Purple Heart State". This is meant to honor combat veterans for their service and sacrifice every day they stay in New York State.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

With all of these new changes coming, New York is taking the first step to become more veteran friendly, and we have no plans to stop innovating or helping out any time soon.

Upstate New York Country Concert Calendar

Check out all the artists set to make their way to the Capital Region and Upstate New York.

Gallery Credit: Matty Jeff

Look at The Dazzling Greenwich Holiday Lighted Tractor Parade Through the Years

Take a look at this amazing holiday tradition. This is the Greenwich Holiday Lighted Tractor Parade. It started in 2013 for locals to decorate their tractors and parade through town displaying the spirit of the holidays.

Gallery Credit: Greenwich Lighted Tractor Parade Facebook page; Greenwich Lighted Tractor Parade website

Canadian Pacific Holiday Train Rolls Through The Capital Region For a Great Cause

It had been three years since the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train rolled through the Capital Region. It made three stops; Mechanicville, Saratoga Springs, and Fort Edward. The first was Mechanicville on a rainy Sunday night. This is where I enjoyed the festive holiday train. They are traveling across the country to 106 stops. At each stop, they play live music and collect donations for the local food banks. Country Artist Lindsay Ell was the musical entertainment and she was awesome. The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train also presented the Mechanicville Community Center with a check for $3500 to help restock the food bank. Even though the weather wasn't ideal, a couple of hundred families joined the fun.

Gallery Credit: Chrissy Cavotta Townsquare Media

Source: New York’s Capital To Honor Veterans Across The State Year-Round

Filed Under: Veterans Day, Veterans, Governor Hochul

Categories: Around Albany