Military veterans suddenly are getting more attention from Michigan lawmakers and the governor. Actions in Lansing are aimed at helping them find jobs and obtain government services, Kathleen Gray reports in the Free Press.
From property tax breaks to high school diplomas to expedited licensing for certain professions, 2013 is becoming a banner year for veterans in Michigan.
Nearly 20 bills giving veterans perks and breaks have been introduced this year, and $1.5 million has been added to the 2013-14 budget to better connect veterans to jobs once they leave military service. In addition, Gov. Rick Snyder created the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, funded with $4 million from the state and expected to grow from 12 to 40 employees by the end of the summer.
Michigan now has a Veterans Affairs Agency.
An American Legion lobbyist in the state capital, Doug Williams, tells Gray:
"We’ve had a definitive change in the atmosphere in Lansing. These are necessary pieces of legislation to make it easier for veterans to get employment.”
In part, lawmakers are responding to an increasing presence of veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan, Gray notes, adding: "It’s politically difficult to vote against the military volunteers."
She quotes Mark Sutton, public relations director of the American Legion:
"With all the problems that the VA is having, the legislators see the plight that veterans are having and asking ‘Where can we cut down barriers for these guys?’ ”
Veterans Day parade scene from Milan, Mich., is posted on Flickr by Michael Armitage.
