Giving veterans interview preference

It’s hard to get your employment foot in the door these days, when, for some positions, candidates by the hundreds are lined up for one or two open positions.

Rep. Dan Severson (R-Sauk Rapids) believes that military service should move a person to the front of the interview line, especially for state employment.

His bill, HF1880, would strengthen the state’s veterans preference law by requiring a state agency to grant an interview to a veteran or disabled veteran serving after Sept. 11, 2001, if they meet position qualifications.

Severson told the House Veterans Affairs Division March 20 that a recent report to the Legislature shows the number of veterans in state agencies “on a significant decrease.”

Rep. Tim Faust (DFL-Mora) sees a problem. “With the economy the way it is, if you have 200 veterans applying for a job, it might be difficult to interview every single one.” He suggested that an interview formula be developed for job postings. He is also concerned about veterans becoming discouraged by going to “one interview after another” only because the hiring agency is required to interview the veteran.

Approved by the division and the House Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Committee March 25, it now awaits action on the House floor. The bill has no Senate companion.