Accessibility menu
State Representative Ryan Winkler
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7026
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
NEWS COLUMN
REP. RYAN WINKLER INTRODUCES BILL FOR DEPLOYED SOLDIERS
ST. PAUL – A bill introduced by Rep. Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley was heard in the Labor and Consumer Protection Division on Friday. If passed, the bill would supplement federal law to help any military servicemember who has been issued orders into active duty. Specifically, the bill would allow soldiers to terminate, without penalty, their cell phone, rental, health club, and membership contracts when they are deployed on active duty. The bill would also help servicemembers to obtain special payment arrangements for utility services and protect their families from those services being shutoff in their absence.
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940 – now known as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2003 – is a federal law that already provides similar benefits to soldiers who are deployed on active duty. It covers some rental agreements, security deposits, credit cared interest rates, income tax payments, and other items. However the law doesn’t cover all aspects of the modern consumer including cell phone bills, health club memberships, and more. Winkler's bill would require the state to fill the gap and provide relief in these additional areas for Minnesota soldiers.
"With so many Minnesota soldiers deployed on active duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, the need to act on this bill is clear," said Winkler. "The men and women of the armed forces deserve peace of mind about their families' finances while they are answering their country's call in some of the most dangerous regions of our world."
Proponents of Winkler's bill point out that it doesn't make sense to require a soldier, whether they are at Camp Shelby in Oklahoma or deployed on a mission in Iraq, to remain in a cell phone contract or health club membership that he or she can't use. Likewise it is unfair for a soldier to have to pay rent for an apartment, or risk having the heat turned off in a home in which he or she is no longer living.
Members of the military are happy to see this bill in the beginning phases of the legislative process. If passed it should provide extra security for Minnesota soldiers deployed across the globe.
"One of the main concerns of our servicemembers on active duty is the health and welfare of their families at home while they are away," said Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard Larry Shellito.
The bill would alleviate some of these concerns for these soldiers. It will be heard in the Commerce and Labor Committee in the coming weeks.
News Items
- Statement on Budget Forecast - (Posted: 2012-12-05 00:00:00)
- Statement on Final I-35 W Bridge Settlement - (Posted: 2012-11-13 00:00:00)
- Rep. Winkler: Tea Party Activists Can’t Be Trusted to Reform Our Elections - (Posted: 2012-11-01 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.