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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
LOCAL LEGISLATOR'S FIRST BILL PASSES UNANIMOUSLY ON HOUSE FLOOR; PROVIDES PEACE OF MIND FOR DEPLOYED MILITARY PERSONNEL
ST. PAUL – Rep. Ryan Winkler (St. Louis Park & Golden Valley) guided his first bill (HF532) through successful passage in the Minnesota House. The bill benefits military personnel who have been ordered into active duty. Servicemembers may cancel, without penalty, their cell phone, rental, health club, and membership contracts when they are deployed on active duty. HF532 also helps servicemembers obtain special payment arrangements for utility services and protect their families from those services being shutoff in their absence.
"I am pleased to have received such broad support from my colleagues in the House on this very important initiative," 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. I am proud to have led the effort to provide them that peace of mind."
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 requires 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 was clear," said Winkler. "This initiative will significantly benefit the brave men and women who are serving our country by applying the concept of the Civil Relief Act to the modern situations with which they are faced today."
Winkler and other proponents of the 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 risk having the heat turned off in a home while he or she is serving abroad.
"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.
Like Adjutant General Shellito, many members of the military are happy to see that this bill has achieved success this session. When the Governor signs the bill into law in the coming weeks, it will provide extra security for Minnesota soldiers deployed across the globe and their families here in Minnesota.
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)
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