ST. PAUL – The Minnesota House on Friday overwhelmingly approved legislation Rep. Shane Mekeland, R-Clear Lake, said shows our state’s commitment to taking care of veterans.
Mekeland said he was pleased with the veterans and military affairs package (S.F. 4233) which, overall, appropriates an additional $2.2 million to the Department of Military Affairs and an additional $52.351 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“This is a great example of good things that can happen when we set priorities and focus on them,” Mekeland said. “The men and women of our armed forces risk life and limb and make other sacrifices we can’t begin to understand all in the name of keeping us safe and defending liberty. There is nobody I respect more than those who serve, and it was great to see this bill to support veterans was strictly limited to them and did not contain unrelated material. That’s how it always should be and that’s why the Legislature provided such overwhelming support for this veterans package.”
Mekeland said the bill includes more than $10 million for construction cost increases for the three new veterans’ homes in Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston, and more than $16 million for enhancements and furnishings to these facilities. Veterans and Gold Star families who served post-9/11 will receive a total of $24.8 million post-service bonus payments. The bill also includes funding to address veteran homelessness, money for the State Veterans Cemetery in Redwood Falls, and other veterans-related programs.
The bill passed the House 122-1 and cleared the Senate without opposition. It now is in the hands of the governor for enactment.
-30-