Expanded program approved

A broader spectrum of veteran-owned construction firms would be able to bid on state road projects and receive up to a 6 percent bid preference under a bill approved Feb. 13 by the House Veterans Services Division.

Sponsored by Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake), HF1821 would allow veteran-owned professional and technical firms to participate in the program, in addition to construction laborers. The bill, as amended, now moves to the House Transportation Policy and Finance Committee.

Representatives of the Association of the United Veterans Legislative Caucus and the Department of Transportation spoke in favor of the bill.

“We’ve been working on this bill for several years,” said Ralph Donais, UVLC chairman. “The current bill, in the format that we have it in now … opens the whole job to the veterans. It used to say the veteran gets to put gravel down and concrete over it. Now it opens it up to design, drafting, all the different phases of a job.”

A report to the Legislature would be due by Feb. 1 every other year regarding the biennial number and amount of contracts offered under the program. Counties also would have the ability to offer the program.

Sen. Al DeKruif (R-Madison Lake) sponsors SF1597, a companion bill which was also approved Feb. 13 as amended by the Senate State Government Innovation and Veterans Committee and sent to the Senate Transportation Committee.