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Legislative News and Views - Rep. John Persell (DFL)

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Legislative Update - March 14, 2016

Monday, March 14, 2016

Dear neighbors,

Today, I joined several legislative colleagues in proposing legislation to provide additional support for Minnesota veterans. One area where we can prudently invest part of our $900 million state budget surplus is to improve the lives of veterans this session.

 

Our veterans have made huge sacrifices in their lives, and we owe too many more dignity, among many other debts. Struggles facing veterans reach far beyond physical challenges and we need to do more.

 

There are real problems facing our veterans that we can improve if we act in a meaningful way, to put our appreciation for veterans into action. Minnesotans of both parties can agree on that. There are few areas where we find more common ground at the Capitol than on veterans’ issues, and that gives me hope that these proposals will move forward.

 

The bill approaches supporting veterans at every stage of their life:

 

  • Increases access to mental health services: Funds and allows the Soldiers’ Assistance Fund to cover court-ordered mental health and substance abuse counseling for veterans.
  • Financial relief while transitioning to a veteran home: Creates a tax credit for veterans who are staying in private nursing homes to help ease the financial burden while they wait for a bed in a veterans nursing home.
  • Expanding health coverage for veterans and guardsmen: Creates a feasibility study for providing health insurance to veterans and guardsmen to extend coverage beyond the health insurance programs provided by the federal VA and the Department of Defense.
  • Reducing domestic violence: Expands opportunities for veterans to participate in the Change Step Program for veterans who need domestic abuse counseling and education.
  • Ending veteran homelessness and honoring those who have served: Increases funding to address veterans homelessness and provides additional money to reimburse veterans service organizations for providing honor guards at veterans’ funerals.
  • Increases support for veterans who have struggled to reintegrate: Similar to drug courts, Veterans Courts provide problem-solving treatment and therapy instead of punitive court sentencing. These courts better recognize both the service and struggles many veterans experience.

I encourage you to contact me with questions and feedback on this, or any other legislative issue. You can always reach me by email at rep.john.persell@house.mn or phone at 651-296-5516.

 

Sincerely,

John Persell

State Representative