SAINT PAUL, Minn. – On Friday, Governor Tim Walz signed into law a bill authored by Rep. Lucy Rehm (DFL – Chanhassen) requesting the University of Minnesota to provide free admission for disabled veterans to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Lawmakers included Rep. Rehm’s proposal in a broader package of higher education legislation.
“The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a treasure of our community, with acres of gardens, trails, and other natural areas,” Rep. Rehm said. “Nature has healing powers, and giving access to this amenity to those who’ve sacrificed so much isn’t just a way of saying ‘thank you;’ it can make a big difference for veterans’ mental health. I’m grateful the bill is now law and hope Minnesota veterans can take advantage of everything the Arboretum has to offer.”
The bill defines “disabled veteran” as a veteran with a permanent service-connected disability, as certified in writing by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. An attendee will be required to provide photo identification from the VA noting their service-connected disability.
Rep. Rehm developed the bill along with the Minnesota American Legion which offered its support when the legislation received a unanimous vote by the House Veterans & Military Affairs Committee on March 18.
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, in Chaska, covers 1,200 acres and attracts over 600,000 visitors a year. In addition to its gardens and collections, the facility offers educational programming and facilitates research through the U of M’s College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences.