Greetings,
A couple of weeks ago, we wished Monster Mike Schultz good luck at the Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang and he came through big time, winning the gold medal snowboard cross competition. He did this on a prosthetic knee he made himself! What an amazing story of persistence that truly embodies the spirit of the Paralympic Games. Click here for more on the story of this local legend that is growing right before our eyes and click here for footage of Monster Mike on the medal stand.
As for the Legislature, it was great to see so many people at the Capitol to celebrate Veterans Day on the Hill this week. A rally took place where veterans and their families from across the state gathered at the Capitol rotunda to show their support. A number of bills related to veterans were heard in House committees that day, including one that would expand the property tax exclusion for surviving spouses of disabled veterans.
As a former service member myself, I have successfully authored a large number of bills to assist veterans. I will highlight what I am authoring this year in a future email and, for now, here are just a few of my veterans bills from 2017 which became law:
- Authorizing Support Our Troops grant funds for veterans spouses at state veterans cemeteries
- Eliminating the requirement that a disabled veterans annually apply for a homestead exclusion
- Expanding the criminal definition of impersonation of military officer (“stolen valor”) to include any military member for the purpose of financial gain
Other veterans’ bills enacted since 2015 include:
- Excluding all military retirement pay from state income tax
- Allowing active duty military members and their families to bypass the one-year wait and immediately qualify for higher education grants and scholarships
- Increasing funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs and state veterans homes
- Making it easier for veteran-owned small businesses to get state government contracts
- Establishing a Military Spouses and Families Day to honor Minnesota military families
- Designating the Honor and Remember Flag as a symbol of the state’s commitment to fallen military members
- Expanding the Minnesota GI Bill to include apprenticeship and on-the-job training benefits
In other news, our state’s new vehicle licensing and registration system continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. A top MN.IT official was fired in the wake of the governor’s administration failing to deliver a functioning system and mismanagement of their $93 million budget for the project. The House continues to work on this issue and passed a bill this week that requires the governor to source funding to keep MNLARS operations afloat.
The governor did not address this subject during his State of the State Address this week, which says something in itself.
It’s hard to believe, but the 2018 session is now roughly one-third complete as we wrap up Week 4 in a 12-week session. The first deadline for bills to make preliminary progress in the House comes next week, so the committee schedule will be heavy the next little while.
Until next time, enjoy the thaw and keep sending me your thoughts on the issues.
Good luck,
Jeff