Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) joined his Assembly Minority Colleagues in Syracuse to call for action on a number of legislative items focused on veterans to help support the lives of these men and women and their families. A veteran himself, the Assemblyman proudly serves on the Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs, but points to the lack of veteran representation on the committee as a hindrance to passing meaningful legislation.

“I am proud of my record on veterans’ issues and am so honored to work on behalf of our military men and women and their families. Despite intransigence from the majority in the Assembly, we still achieved important measures, like the expansion of scholarships for Gold Star families, approval of a study on veteran homelessness and more,” said Hawley. “We have much more to work on, but I look forward to a day when there are more veterans serving alongside me in the Assembly. The leadership and character instilled in our service men and women would be a welcome addition to our chambers.”

In the past two years, Hawley helped achieve a number of items for veterans:

• Expanded scholarships for Gold Star families (A.2991, Higher Education, 4.9.2019; Executive Order 4.19.2019);
• Approval of tax exemptions to help injured or disabled veterans to refit their homes to increase mobility (A.7289);
• Authorization of a study on homeless veterans to better provide support (A.5660); and
• Required the state to closely examine veteran health issues, including PTSD and traumatic brain injuries (A.1804).

Hawley continues to fight for:

• A veterans clearinghouse to better connect veterans to needed services (A.4395);
• The “Veteran Owned Business Enterprise Act” to help veteran entrepreneurs (A.4490);
• Honoring military experience as civil work experience by increasing civil (A.5535) and education credits (A.7999); and
• Veterans’ health by tracking a list of toxins military personnel are exposed to (A.6421) and requiring coroners to report suicides of veterans and active military personnel (A.8934).

Hawley served seven years in the Ohio Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserves, earning the rank of first lieutenant. 30 percent of the Assembly Minority conference is comprised of veterans.

Editor’s Note: Comments from Hawley are available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmmXozNTYws&t=57s