ALBANY – A Monday news conference in the State Capitol, held by senate and assembly members omitted a veteran organization and other elderly vets were prohibited from attending.
Assemblywoman Didi Barrett (D, Hudson), chairwoman of the Assembly’s Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and Senator John Brooks (D, Massapequa), chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans, held a news conference in the Capitol Monday to advocate for a bill that would elevate the existing state’s Division of Veterans Services (DVS) to a cabinet-level department complete with its own commissioner. Currently, DVS exists as a subset division of the Office of General Services and is limited in its scope and purview to advocate for veterans.
Barrett’s advance notice of the conference indicated that veteran advocates including a VFW commander, the Columbia County Veterans Services director, and the Ulster County Vet2Vet program manager were scheduled to be there. Mid-Hudson News asked Barrett’s office why the Dutchess County Veterans Services Director, Adam Roche, or MHA Dutchess Vet2Vet staff were omitted, Barrett’s staff said that Dutchess advocates were omitted because of the travel distance between Poughkeepsie and Albany, which might inconvenience the Dutchess reps. A veteran pointed out that Barrett has an office within a half-mile of the Dutchess Vet2Vet office. “We certainly would have attended if we were invited,” said Roche. “My staff and the Dutchess Vet2Vet staff have been forced to travel to Albany every year to advocate for funding. We certainly approve of this and would have appeared in person.”
A few veterans who made the trip on Monday were barred from entering. One shut-out veteran told Mid-Hudson News that “A handful of us veterans were not admitted into the Capitol because we didn’t bring our vaccine cards. We have our passes on our phones but we didn’t bring them inside the capitol.” The elderly veteran said that one of the senate secretaries sent rapid tests down to the lobby, but Capitol security was not willing to accept the results, effectively keeping the veterans out of the event.”
State Senator Sue Serino (R, Hyde Park) supports the initiative and said “We owe an incredible debt of gratitude to our veterans, but it is not enough to simply thank them for their service.” Speaking to the need to create the new department, Serino said “We have to ensure that our actions at the state level make it clear that our veterans and the services they rely on are a top priority.”
“New Yorkers owe our veterans and military families a huge debt of gratitude for their service,” said Barrett. “But when it comes to translating that gratitude to access to earned benefits and needed services, we fall far short. It is time for New York State to elevate the existing Division of Veterans’ Services – founded 75 years ago to service World War II veterans – to a one-stop Veterans Department with a commissioner and an expanded budget commensurate with the expanded programming and responsibilities.“
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro supports the change, saying it “was one I campaigned on during 2018 when I was running for governor. Director Roche and his department work very well with the MHA Dutchess Vet2Vet program. The collaboration benefits every veteran in Dutchess County and we will continue to advocate for programming that will enhance the lives of our brave veterans.”
