Friends,
You’ve probably heard that we’re going to convene a special session. Lawmakers will gather at the Capitol in St. Paul on Monday, Sept. 9, to pass legislation providing much-needed disaster relief for 18 Minnesota counties.
Both parties have come together in a bipartisan manner to help our fellow citizens who are struggling after being hit hard by storms earlier this summer. Those storms resulted in the largest power outage in state history. We need a special session to provide the state and local match for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance, which will pay for 75 percent of costs to repair roads, bridges, buildings, and other public infrastructure damaged by severe storms earlier this summer.
Helping our heroes
Some of the things that we did during the session that hasn’t gotten much attention are what we did for our veterans.
We expanded the eligibility of Minnesota GI Bill benefits to give more vets access to the financial aid resources so they can pursue a higher education. For many of our veterans, that could mean up to $10,000 to help pay for college or other post-secondary studies.
Now, all veterans under the age of 62 who served honorably in any branch of the armed forces during any time period may be eligible for Minnesota GI Bill benefits. Under the new law, benefit amounts from the enhanced Minnesota GI Bill remain the same. A full-time student may receive up to $1,000 per semester or term of enrollment, $3,000 per state fiscal year, and $10,000 in a lifetime (up to age 62). Part-time students may receive $500 per semester or term of enrollment, and a minimum award of $50 per term.
Minnesota veterans can find more information about the Minnesota GI Bill should go call (651) 642-0567 or go to www.MinnesotaVeteran.org.
The expansion of the Minnesota GI Bill is just one of the things we did for our veterans this past session. I want to share with you just a few of the measures passed by the 2013 Legislature – with my support – and signed into law by Governor Dayton.
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Minneapolis Veterans Home: $18.9 million was contained in the Bonding Bill for the state’s portion of continuing capital improvements for phase 3 of the Building 17 project.
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Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans: Increased funding to Council by $500,000 to provide assistance to veterans and their families who are homeless or in danger of homelessness, including housing, utility, employment, and legal assistance.
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Honor Guards: $400,000 is allocated to pay for honor guards at the funerals of veterans. The Commissioner of Veterans Affairs is authorized to pay up to $50 to a local unit of a congressionally chartered veterans’ organization as compensation for providing honor guards.
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Gold Star Program: Established ongoing funding for the Gold Star program. The Gold Star Program supports the families of those service members who lost their lives in combat as they heal from their loss. This made up for funding cut by the federal government.
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Veterans’ service organizations: $706,000 in funding for congressional chartered veterans’ service organizations: Disabled American Veterans, Military Order of the Purple Heart, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America, AMVETS, and Paralyzed Veterans of America.
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Local government veterans’ preference: Local governments authorized to implement a veterans’ preference program in the awarding of contracts to designated veteran-owned small businesses.
Finding a late-in-life job
On Tuesday, September 3, the Minnesota Board on Aging and the Senior LinkAge Line One Stop Shop for Minnesota Seniors will roll out START MN. The new initiative assists older Minnesotans struggling to find work by providing helpful information and access to local employment resources.
Minnesotans interested in getting a sneak peek at the new service can visit the Board of Aging’s State Fair Booth located in the Education Building (just north of the corner of Cosgrove St. and Dan Patch Ave.). Minnesotans also can visit MinnesotaHelp.info or call 1-800-333-2433 for more information.
The Senior LinkAge Line® began operation in the late 1990s by helping Minnesota seniors with Medicare questions. During the past decade, it has developed into a service that answers questions and provides guidance to seniors on a wide range of topics including tax forms, Medicare applications, and even fishing licenses.
Sincerely,
Sheldon