Greg Ball is wholly committed to taking care of the men and women who have put their lives on the line to protect our country through military service. As the ranking member on the Veterans Affairs committee, Assemblyman Greg Ball fights everyday for New York Veterans and their families.
 
Our veterans deserve the finest medical care in the nation and we must provide substantive tax relief to veterans throughout the state. Greg Ball is fighting to keep the Montrose VA facility to be used as it was intended: for veteran's only, not private development. Ball also supported bipartisan efforts and bills to help ensure veterans have the mental health care they need and deserve Ensuring that all veterans have top-notch, timely medical treatment in a fully-funded VA health care system is a key priority for Greg.
 
Assemblyman Ball is working with local VFWs, American Legions and other organizations to improve the quality of life for veterans throughout his district. Greg Ball has delivered thousands of dollars in grants to help our veterans relocate the Pawling Veterans monument, and make structural improvements to local VFW and American Legion Halls. He introduced the legislation that was enacted in the 2008 State Budget to provide free graduate and undergraduate college tuition at SUNY and CUNY institutions for combat veterans.
 
During the last legislative term, Ball announced historic legislation to expand the eligibility for thousands of veterans to receive tax exemption benefits. Ball also supported legislation to broaden the applicability of the current veterans’ real property tax exemption. Additionally, he supported a bill to exempt real property owned by certain disabled veterans from property taxation. With Ball's support, the Assembly passed another measure to help create job opportunities for disabled veterans. Ball also supported the measure calling for a New York State Constitutional amendment to ratify disability civil service credits which will appear on the ballot this November.  
 
Greg Ball wants to provide our veterans with the recognition that is long overdue. Establishing a cold war service medal will be one of the first pieces of legislation that Assemblyman Ball will introduce in the veterans committee during his next term. Assemblyman Ball will also support extending the 9/11 Service Ribbon to soldiers who were acting in support of the NYPD, NYFD and emergency responders during that fateful day. Creating a New York War on Terrorism Service and Expeditionary Medal will further honor the contributions of our brave men and women in uniform.
 
Those who have served in uniform or been injured in action, as well as the survivors of those who have passed on or made the ultimate sacrifice must continue to have ready access to the benefits they have been promised and deserve.