Amherst, N.Y. (WBEN) - Politically, State Sen. Rob Ortt (R) and Amherst Councilman and Supervisor-elect Shawn Lavin (D) are opposites.
That's not the case, though, when it comes to veterans, especially those in the New York National Guard. Both local leaders are National Guardsmen, with Ortt having served eight years and being awarded a bronze star and Lavin still active as a member of the Air National Guard.
Together, and with Veteran's Day as the backdrop, both have banded together and are supporting a bill that Ortt is championing in Albany that would increase civil service credits for any active member of the New York National Guard who serves a 60-day, or longer, deployment.
The bill matters because it can be a key recruiting tool for those active National Guard members who are either current, or may want to become a civil service, public sector employee.
"It would absolutely help in the pecking order," Lavin said.
Ortt hopes to find a companion supporter in the State Assembly, and the bill can be passed in 2026. Both the State Senate and Assembly have veterans, including active National Guards members.
"It is a good piece of legislation and it doesn't cost New York anything," Ortt said. "But it can help with recruiting."
If approved, the state bill would work in concert with existing credits offered by New York and the federal government for National Guard members as well as other military veterans.
"To me, it sends a message that we care about our veterans in New York," Lavin said. "The laws need to catch up to the sacrifice people are making."