Dear neighbors,
Today, several of my colleagues and I introduced legislation to provide additional support for Minnesota veterans.
Many veterans have struggles that extend beyond physical challenges, and we believe that we can do more. This bill goes far beyond the hollow thanking a veteran for his or her service. It demonstrates in a very real way that Minnesota does care and is willing to walk the walk to prove just how thankful we are for veteran’s sacrifices. It is time for legislators to stop the talking and do the walking.
The bill approaches supporting veterans at every stage of their life:
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Increases access to mental health services: Funds and allows the Soldiers’ Assistance Fund to cover court-ordered mental health and substance abuse counseling for veterans.
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Financial relief while transitioning to a veteran home: Creates a tax credit for veterans who are staying in private nursing homes to help ease the financial burden while they wait for a bed in a veterans nursing home.
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Expanding health coverage for veterans and guardsmen: Creates a feasibility study for providing health insurance to veterans and guardsmen to extend coverage beyond the health insurance programs provided by the federal VA and the Department of Defense.
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Reducing domestic violence: Expands opportunities for veterans to participate in the Change Step Program for veterans who need domestic abuse counseling and education.
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Ending veteran homelessness and honoring those who have served: Increases funding to address veterans homelessness and provides additional money to reimburse veterans service organizations for providing honor guards at veterans’ funerals.
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Increases support for veterans who have struggled to reintegrate: Similar to drug courts, Veterans Courts provide problem-solving treatment and therapy instead of punitive court sentencing. These courts better recognize both the service and struggles many veterans experience.
We must turn our appreciation for veterans into action. People of both parties can agree that there are few areas where we find more common ground than on veteran’s issues, and I’m hopeful these proposals will move forward.
I encourage you to contact me with questions and feedback on this, or any other legislative issue. You can always reach me by email at rep.jerry.newton@house.mn or phone at 651-296-5369.
Sincerely,
Jerry Newton
State Representative