Making Minnesota better for veterans: Chair says ‘nonpolitical’ approach is best

The House Veterans Affairs Division wrapped up its work for the session Monday in the only way it knows how: by giving thanks and credit where it’s due.

Rep. Bob Dettmer (R-Forest Lake), the division chair, read two resolutions thanking two men who have both served their country in the military and have served their fellow veterans by pushing for legislation intended to better the lives of past military service people. The 15-member legislative panel gave the veterans a standing ovation.

Whether it’s educating freshmen lawmakers on the different programs and services state agencies offer veterans, or discussing better entitlements for veterans’ families, the division spent the past 10 weeks wading deep into mental health issues, tax exemption policies, nonprofit funding and future veterans homes, to name a few. In all, the division heard 42 bills that it pushed through to other committees – all with the intention of making Minnesota a better state for veterans.

“We’ll never quit trying to do that,” Dettmer said in an interview. “We don’t always have the best weather, but we can be a place where veterans want to raise their family after 20 years and be here, start second careers. As long as I’m working in the Legislature, that’s my goal: make Minnesota a better place for veterans.”

The biggest concern among veterans’ communities continues to be mental health. A slew of bills addressed topics ranging from how first responders interact with veterans potentially suffering from PTSD to treating these veterans differently in the judicial system. There are always new ideas on how to help veterans, too, like an equine therapy program seeking state funding.

Aging veterans sometimes face different challenges than their younger counterparts. There are certain parts of Greater Minnesota without veterans homes, so veterans in places like Bemidji, Montevideo and Fillmore County are hoping the federal government will help build housing there.

And while the state’s veterans are buried at no cost to families, their loved ones still have to choose between a $745 burial fee in state cemeteries or a free burial at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.

The division also made it a priority to develop legislation to better remember veterans for their past service and sacrifices. Twin Cities Public Television asked the Legislature to help fund its local angle on telling the story of the Vietnam War. Ampers wants to highlight Korean and Persian Gulf war veterans in its broadcast. And Rep. Fue Lee (DFL-Mpls), a descendant of Hmong refugees from the Vietnam War, wants to establish a day memorializing Southeast Asian allies’ work in the so-called “Secret War.”

Dettmer’s philosophy in leading the panel comes from his 25 years of being in uniform. Now retired from the U.S. Army Reserve, Dettmer, in his sixth legislative term, said bills concerning the military community must be “nonpolitical.”

“When you’re in uniform, you’re nonpolitical,” Dettmer said. “You have a Commander-in-Chief, you have your chain of command, and I felt that’s the way we should treat it as legislators, too.”

The division heard legislative proposals from both sides of the aisle, Dettmer said, and included hearings on any bills their sponsors requested. DFLers praised the approach.

“We have great members on both sides of the aisle and we are tackling issues that are very, very important,” Rep. Paul Rosenthal (DFL-Edina), the DFL lead, said at Monday’s meeting. “This has been one of the most bipartisan committees that I’ve ever seen.”