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Lueck bill related to veterans advances

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

 

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State Rep. Dale Lueck, R-Aitkin, in the foreground, presents a veterans-related bill to the House Veterans Affairs Division as Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon provides support Monday at the Capitol in St. Paul.

Lueck bill related to veterans advances

ST. PAUL – A bill Rep. Dale Lueck, R-Aitkin, has authored to add a simple “yes or no” veterans’ status box on state open appointment applications moved through the House Veterans Affairs Division Committee during Veterans Day on the Hill on Monday.

Almost 50 of Lueck’s fellow veterans from District 10B bused down to St. Paul to attend the Veterans Day on the Hill program in the Capitol rotunda and also observed the House Veterans Affairs Division Committee hearing where Lueck’s bill (H.F. 3507) worked its way through the committee hearing process.

“I greatly appreciated Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon’s testimony in support of this effort,” said Lueck, who is a veteran himself. “Once we make this change to existing state statute, this new information will be included in the secretary’s annual report to the governor and the Legislature providing important insight into where and how our veterans are continuing to serve once they are back home in Minnesota.”

The state currently collects statistical data on a voluntary basis information about applicants that apply for appointments to Minnesota’s over 200 state-level boards, councils, commissions and task forces. That voluntary information includes items such as age, gender, disability status, race and other information, however veterans’ status is not one of the data points being collected.

Sen. Jerry Newton, D-Coon Rapids also is a veteran and is carrying the Senate companion bill.  As soon as either the House or Senate completes final action on their bill, the language will move across to the other chamber for consideration. After passing both chambers, the next stop will then be the governor’s desk for his signature.

“There are well over 7,500 veterans living in Aitkin and Crow Wing counties today, of which almost 500 are women veterans.” Lueck said. “Veterans are a key part of our local communities. Our local American Legion Posts, VFW Posts and the Disabled American Veterans Association continue to provide service to our communities through a variety of means, we owe them a collective thank you.”

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