By Stateside Staff for Michigan Radio
There are two Iraq war veterans now serving in the state Legislature.
Sen. David Knezek, D-Dearborn Heights, and Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Potterville, both took their seats in November 2014, and they’re working hard toward a goal of improving veterans’ affairs here in Michigan.
Knezek and Barrett have already had the chance to work together on legislation seeking to extend rights to veterans who use service animals to manage the effects of post traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.
“Unfortunately here in the state of Michigan, veterans who use service animals are not a protected class,” Knezek says. “Rep. Barrett and I wanted to make sure that we could protect those veterans and allow them to transition healthily back home to the United States.”
They hope to see Gov. Snyder sign that legislation into law some time this summer.
Both Barrett and Knezek have independently gotten legislation passed to strengthen military members’ rights. Barrett focused on strengthening custody rights for those who are deployed, while Knezek concentrated on granting private employers the right to give hiring preference to veterans.
Barrett tells us that the latter is a huge step forward for the state. “Michigan has had the second-highest veteran unemployment rate in the entire country,” he says. “It’s something that both Sen. Knezek and I are very interested in doing our best to correct.”
The big point they’re making here is that veteran-related issues have nothing to do with party lines. – read complete transcript or listen on Michigan Radio –
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