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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Jim Abeler (R)

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REPS. ABELER AND NEWTON APPOINTED TO SELECT COMMITTEE ON VETERANS HOUSING

Thursday, May 2, 2013

State Reps. Abeler and Newton discuss veterans legislation on the Minnesota House floor.

St. Paul—State Representative Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, and State Representative Jerry Newton, DFL-Coon Rapids, were recently appointed to the Speaker's Select Committee on Veterans Housing. Rep. Newton will serve as chair of the committee.

“As legislators, we recognize the value of our veterans’ service, and the work of this committee will help us to remain engaged in showing our appreciation of their many sacrifices,” Rep. Abeler said. “We owe the veterans who call Minnesota home a debt of gratitude for the freedoms that we hold dear.”

Over the next year, Rep. Abeler and Rep. Newton will examine the unique housing issues Minnesota veterans face, including veterans with long-term care needs and homeless veterans, in order to recommend policies that assure safe, high-quality and cost-effective housing.

“As a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Army, I was especially pleased to have been selected to chair the Select Committee on Veterans Housing,” Rep. Newton said. “We have a long waiting list of Minnesota veterans seeking safe, affordable housing and assisted living.  They protected and served us, and now we need to meet their immediate needs, as well as look at the long-range needs of our large, aging veteran population.”

The Select Committee on Veterans Housing will hold hearings over the legislative interim and will issue a report with their recommendations by February 1, 2014.