Sag Harbor - Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) has introduced State legislation in the State Assembly that would provide tax incentives to New York businesses that hire a veteran. Under the legislation, an employer that hires a veteran who works at least 35 hours per week and remains on the job for one year or more would receive a State tax credit of $3,000. Where the veteran was wounded in service, the amount of the credit would be $4,000.

Thiele stated, "Veterans across the state are struggling to find employment in private sector industries hard hit by the recession. Unemployment has reached a staggering 20 percent for veterans under the age of 30 who have recently returned from Iraq or Afghanistan. Many have service connected disabilities. The passage of this legislation will insure that our veterans who risked their lives for their country will have real economic opportunity when they return home. With the President's announcement that all American troops will be out of Iraq by December, the need for the enactment of this proposal is immediate."

The legislation is sponsored in the State Senate by State Senator Mark Grisanti (R-Buffalo).