Minnesota House of Representatives

Accessibility menu

Menu

Minnesota House of Representatives

State Representative Joe Atkins

583 State Office BuildingState Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4192

For more information contact: Christina Gosack 651-296-5524

Posted: 2006-04-10 00:00:00
Share on: 



Press/News Releases

Atkins Sponsors Bill to Provide Extra Body Armor to National Guard Troops

With approximately 2,600 Minnesota National Guard soldiers recently deployed to Iraq, Rep. Joe Atkins (DFL – Inver Grove Heights) is sponsoring bi-partisan legislation to provide an extra $1 million in personal body armor to members of the Minnesota National Guard.

"Our Minnesota National Guard troops have bravely volunteered to serve our country in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Atkins. "The least we can do is to provide them with the best body armor available when they put themselves in harm's way."

Atkins says the additional $1 million in funding would allow the Minnesota National Guard to purchase the most up-to-date individual body armor, such as vests and protective armor plates.

"We've all heard stories of families buying body armor to send to their soldier overseas," said Atkins. "That's the last thing these courageous families should have to worry about when their soldier is deployed. I want these families to be able to rest assured that their loved ones have the best safety equipment possible."

Rep. Atkins is also authoring bi-partisan legislation likely to pass this session that supports military families and veterans' services. The bill, HF 2921, will require employers to offer unpaid leave to family members of military personnel who die or are injured while on active duty. The bill also includes provisions to help veterans as they return from active duty, including the establishment of Veterans Assistance Centers at the state's colleges and universities and the exemption of military retirement pay from state taxes. The bill has bi-partisan support in both the House and the Senate and appears to be on the fast track to legislative approval.

"Minnesota is currently fourth in the nation in the number of our citizens serving overseas, even though we rank only 19th in total population," Atkins said. "That reflects the value we place on military service in this state. In return, we need to honor that service and sacrifice when our veterans return home. They've earned it."

News Items

Audio & Video

Galleries

No image galleries found

Minnesota House of Representatives  ·   100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Saint Paul, MN   55155   ·   Webmaster@house.mn