MELLOW REINTRODUCES BILL TO SUPPORT SCRANTON WAR VETS SCRANTON, January 19, 2007 –- State Sen. Robert J. Mellow has reintroduced legislation (Senate Bills 205 and 206) that would give Scranton’s police officers, firefighters, and other public employees unlimited time to purchase military time for their pensions. “Currently, Scranton is the only municipality in Pennsylvania that imposes a time period for purchasing military time toward their pensions,” Mellow said. “This is unfair, and ultimately penalizes our fighting men and women who have bravely answered the call to duty.” Under current law, Scranton’s public employees must purchase military time toward their pensions within three years of release from active duty. Mellow’s legislation would remove this requirement and allow Scranton’s police, firefighters and other public employees the same opportunity as their counterparts elsewhere in the state to receive credit for military service. The legislation was bottled up in committees for most of the last session. However, Mellow said the nation’s continuing military presence in the Middle East combined with the bills’ bipartisan support should help get the legislation to the full Senate for a vote this session. “With the president’s call to send even more troops to Iraq, we should make even more of an effort to stand behind our soldiers, reservists and National Guardsmen,” Mellow said. “They deserve our praise, not unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles.”