Report
Meeting at Building 9, VAMC Campus
- Call to order – 9:30, Invocation – Pledge of Allegiance
- Greetings: Recognition of visitors and guests
- Announcements – Jerry Kyser, Chair; Mike Rivard, Vice Chair
- Introducing Mike McElhiney, Chief of Staff MN Department of Veteran Affairs
1. Federal Congressional Representatives
Senator Amy Klobuchar – Kurt Johnson
• Not present.
Senator Tina Smith – Alex Schueller reporting
• Smith recently signed onto S679 the Haven Act, S504 the Legion Act, and S191 the Burn Pits Accountability Act.
*Please direct any casework or veteran related issues to Alex Shueller at 651-221-1016.
Q. What is the Legion Act?
A. It changes the congressional charter to expand membership eligibility for the American Legion. The Legion petitioned specifically for this act. It expands the non-congressionally nominated war periods for eligibility.
1st District Representative – Jim Hagedorn – Joe Steck
• Not present.
2nd District Representative – Angie Craig – Mike Siebenaler reporting
• Craig plans to visit several VFW and American Legion posts in the coming months for listening sessions.
Q. Craig is on the Infrastructure committee. Women and minority owned businesses currently have advantages on getting contracts for MN infrastructure jobs. We want the same for veteran owned businesses. Will Craig support us on this?
A. We will be happy to work with you on this.
3rd District Representative – Dean Phillips – Zach Rodvold reporting
• Philips has signed onto several bills, including HR 801 the Reserve Component Employer Compensation and Relief Act of 2019, providing employers with a tax credit for hiring Reserve component members and HR 299, the Blue Water Navy Veterans bill.
*Philips spent time on an aircraft carrier, observing flight operations and talk with sailors. He will also be spending time with the National Guard over the April recess, visiting Camp Ripley and observing training exercises. He has put in a request to participate in the US House of Representatives Wounded Warrior Program, which provides opportunities for veterans to come and work in a congressional office in a paid capacity.
*We are looking to form a veterans advisory council, made up of veterans and military and families from the CD3 district.
4th District Representative – Betty McCollum – Connie Haddeland reporting
• The Defense Appropriations has been active. This past week, the Air Force and Defense Health were hosted, along with a number of combatant commands. The NDAA process will begin shortly.
*The Service Academy Information Night will be April 16th at Mounds View High School.
*McCollum has signed onto the Naval Blue Water act, the TriCare Reserve Select Improvement Act, the Chiropractic Health Parity Act for Beneficiaries, the Veteran Spouse Treatment Act, the Burn Pits Accountability Act, and others.
*The VA Secretary has stated he does not expect the VA to appeal and go to a higher court on the Blue Water ruling. There are still hurdles, but the outlook seems positive.
Q. Could McCollum co-sponsor the Legion act on the House side?
A. I will send the information to the legislative director.
5th District Representative – Ilhan Omar – Mike Siebenaler
• Not present.
6th District Representative – Tom Emmer – Alejandra Henriquez
• Not present. Soon after Alejandra provided the following summary:
*The White House released their budget proposal last month, which would provide additional funding to implement the VA Mission Act to overhaul the department’s community care program. VA’s FY20 discretionary budget would increase by 7.5% compared to FY19 enacted spending, under the budget proposal.
*Additionally, President Trump signed an executive order last month aimed at increasing efforts to reduce veteran suicides. It would create a new task force in charge of designing strategies to empower military veterans and ending the suicide epidemic in the veteran population.
*Congressman Emmer signed onto H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 which would presume service-connected disability for those who served in the vicinity of Vietnam, not just on land.
*Also signed onto the WINGMAN Act which would allow a veteran to permit certain congressional staff to access certain records at the VBA for purposes of casework.
*Congressman Emmer Signed onto the Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act which would provide treatment of veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll as radiation exposed veterans for the purposes of presumption of service-connectedness.
*Congressman Emmer Cosponsored the VA Billing Accountability Act which would prevent veterans for being held liable for billing errors committed by the VA. He’s been a cosponsor in the past.
7th District Representative – Collin Peterson – Meg Louwagie reporting
• Peterson has been holding a number of town hall meetings and speaking with veterans since his reappointment to the Veteran Affairs committee. There were several productive meetings in March in Redwood, Marshall, and Pipestone, and a town hall meeting with the St. Cloud VA hospital where a lapel pin ceremony was conducted. He is planning on doing an event in August with the Sioux Falls VA to honor local Vietnam veterans.
*There will be three Service Academy nights in conjunction with some of the other congressional districts. The first will be on April 11th in Bemidji at 6:00 PM. The second will be in Windom on April 29th and finally in St. Cloud on May 6th.
8th District Representative – Peter Stauber – Margaret Cavanaugh reporting
• There will be a Service Academy information night in Proctor on May 9th.
*Stauber’s office has been working to help bring home the remains of a sailor, Dante Tini, from the Oklahoma that was recently identified.
*There is a problem with Central Lake College’s 90% attendance requirement to pass classes for Guard members. The issue is ongoing.
2. Federal Agencies
VA Midwest Healthcare Network/VISN 23 – Director Robert McDivitt – Andre Kok reporting
• Director McDivitt plans to attend the June UVLC meeting.
*The VA has put up a notice of funding availability for adaptive sports programs.
*Andre Kok can be contacted with any questions at andrekok@va.gov; however, Andre Kok’s last day working for the VA will be May 10th.
Q. Who are these grants available to?
A. They are available to organizations that run adaptive sports programs.
VA Regional Office – Kim Graves – Ron Woolery reporting
• The secretary stated the VA would not appeal the Blue Water Navy Veterans Act. More information will be forthcoming. It is unclear how the act will be funded. VBA is currently tracking all the Blue Water claims that come in.
*Thank you for everyone who came to the Vietnam Veterans recognition ceremony and claims clinic at the VA hospital. The claims clinic was able to help 37 individual veterans.
Q. Is the 12 mile limit for the Blue Water act changing?
A. There have been discussions about it, but we do not know what the final determination is.
Q. I have read that several years ago, a scientific body suggested the DVA add four separate conditions to the list of qualifying diseases tied to AO: bladder cancer, hyperthyroidism, hypertension, and Parkinson’s. Do you know anything about this?
A. It’s not in the law at this point.
VAHCS Minneapolis – Director Patrick J. Kelly – Ralph Heussner reporting
• Two CBOCs are ending their contract with Valor Healthcare in March of 2020 and will be transitioning over to VA staff. Current employees will be eligible to apply for a VA job, though are not guaranteed to keep their positions.
*New services in Shakopee are TBD.
*There will be a community event held at each of the CBOCs this year. The next will be at the Mankato CBOC on April 25th.
*The Minneapolis VA has renovated a building over in Ft. Snelling’s upper post, Building 222. The building is functional and will be fully occupied by the end of the year. The intensive care unit will be moved over by the end of June.
Ft. Snelling Cemetery – Bob Razor reporting
• There were 279 internments March: 154 veterans, 4 female veterans, 125 dependents. The breakdown was Army 81, Navy 32, 30 Air Force, Marines 9 and Cost Guard 2.
*Senior Executive Director Amy Callahan has been called to St. Louis to run the Scheduling and Eligibility Center Memorial Program Services, which includes ordering markers, medallions, privately furnished grave markers, and so on. In the interim, John Knapp will be the Acting Senior Executive Director. The new Senior Executive Director will be Kimberly Wright, who will start in June or July.
3. State Agencies and MN Veteran Assistance Organizations
MN Department of Veteran Affairs – Ben Johnson reporting
• The third deadline for the legislature is coming up. The committees are now putting their omnibus spending bills together. Of particular interest to veterans is HF 206, the Omnibus Veterans and Military Affairs Bill. It included funding for MDVA and Military Affairs. The MDVA base budget funds were granted, in addition to some requested increases toward the CORE program, increases to the cemetery funds to get them all to the same level, and an increase in basic programs. These increases are not meant to add staff, but to maintain current levels of staffing with rising costs. Other items included were a grant for the Armed Forces Service Center in the Minneapolis airport to replace the furniture and beds, data sharing permitted to administer the Disabled Veterans Homestead Marketplace Exclusion.
*The Omnibus Property Tax bill included both the elimination of the eight-year sunset for the Homestead Marketplace Exclusion and the permissibility of a one-time transfer, in addition to a change in the application deadline from the middle of the summer to December 15th. The senate seems receptive to the changes.
*In the House, the Veterans Defense Project changed in the process, but ultimately included funds to help change how sentencing veterans works. The goal is to ensure that all courts in MN can utilize veterans court type sentencing conditions. Funding for outreach and education is also included. The state of Virginia is introducing similar legislation this year.
*Funding for the Minnesota Medal of Honor memorial was also included, which will be located by the Veteran Services building at the state capital.
*In the senate, HF 2358 was released on April 3rd. It does not include any of MDVA’s requested increases but maintains the funding baseline.
*Governor Walz has recommended that the legislature consider approximately $1.2 billion worth of investment in infrastructure for MN. The Senate has not held any capital investment hearings yet, though the House has been working through the requests. MDVA is requesting funding to renovate Building 6, which previously held the residents of Building 22. MDVA would like to renovate Building 6 and add additional beds. A task force is working to develop proposals for the space.
Q. Is the new cemetery included in the MDVA funding?
A. We received a higher level of funding from the legislature when the cemetery was approved, but we were looking for increases for the fourth upcoming cemetery to ensure the funding would cover all capacities.
Q. Have there been any conversations about the bridge?
A. We are going to fix it. That was part of the capital investment spending and we are on base to make the necessary repairs this fall.
American Legion – Andrew Peters reporting
• The Legion got seven bills related to the Net Gambling Receipt Tax Bill into the omnibus. Now they must be merged and presented with the best language. Currently, the American Legion is taxed at 12% gross receipt. The Net Gambling Receipt Tax Bill would change the tax to be net line receipts on gross, fewer payouts, fewer costs to run the program, and offset for appropriate business expenses.
*The senate is on schedule to push the bill through, though there is a legislator in the house with doubts.
MN Military Affairs – Director Brian Winter – Annette Kuyper reporting
• The Department of Military Affairs remains concerned about the House version of the Veteran and Military Affairs budget. Our request, specific to reintegration activities, was underfunded. We felt our testimony was effective but it remains to be seen what impact this will have. We expect funding on the Senate side to be lower than the House.
*MN has named two civilian aids to the Secretary of the Army, the honorable Mark Ritchie and the Honorable Eric Ahlness.
*Governor Walz has proclaimed April the month of military child. This year’s theme is home is where we are. On April 12th, the Mall of America will host a Purple Up event from noon to 6:00 PM. Military youth will be eligible to receive Nickelodeon Universe bands and Build A Bear toys funded by USAA. We are still looking for volunteers.
*The National Guard Association of MN and the National Guard Enlisted Association will host their annual conference on April 26th through the 28th at the Best Western in Bloomington. Retirees from the Air and Army National Guard are welcome to join. The keynote speaker at the alumni dinner will be Commissioner Larry Herke. The keynote speaker at the general conference will be Governor Walz.
*On March 20th, the Mall of America sponsored the spring Yellow Ribbon company conference. Over 82% of Yellow Ribbon companies were in attendance.
*The fall Yellow Ribbon company seminar will be held in Duluth by Minnesota Power.
*The Chamber of Commerce Hire Our Heroes will be rolling out a fellowship program where companies, free of charge, take transitioning service members who are leaving the service and have them for a paid fellowship within the organization. We will be examining how this applies to Minnesota and how it could be used for transitioning Guard members.
*This year the MN Twins will be honoring our Yellow Ribbon companies at home plate.
*Joining Community Forces is held once a year, bringing all the Yellow Ribbon communities and all key support partners together. Invitations will be sent out soon. The first will be held in Mankato on April 24th, May 1st in Proctor, and May 22nd in St. Paul.
MN Assistance Council for Veterans – Jon Lovald reporting
• CBS will be airing a piece about the fight to end veteran homelessness between 6:00 AM and 8:00 AM on April 6th.
*We have been working closely with the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency and Commissioner Herke at MDVA to connect with the new legislators on the fight to end veteran homelessness in 2019.
*We are slated to do two houses this year with the Builders Association Foundation in June for Bloomington and November North Saint Paul. More information will be forthcoming.
*There will be a legal clinic on April 9th in Minneapolis. This will be the last Minneapolis clinic that will be able to draft wills due to sheer demand.
*The DAV is hosting a large Recruit Military Veterans Job Fair on April 25th at TCF Bank Stadium.
*As of April 3rd, the Homeless Registry Count is at 231.
*The Tribute Bell is available to be checked out.
Military Action Group – Jerry Kyser reporting
• The bill for employers to be able to get tax credit for hiring disabled or unemployed veterans is in a sticky place. There is a subset of disabled women who are not getting the same opportunities as disabled men.
*The next MAG meeting is on April 8th at 9:30 AM at the state office building room 400.
*The next Honor Flight on April 27th, taking 17 WWII veterans.
County Veteran Service Offices – Robbie Robinson reporting
• Please see our new and improved website (www.macvso.org).
*The southern CVSO spring training conference will be April 9th, 10th, and 11th in Mankato.
Veterans For Peace – David Cooley reporting
• The Mission Act comments ended on March 25th. There were a total of 23,888 comments, 15,000 of those submitted by the independent funds, meaning there was no personal information attached.
*AIR, the Asset Infrastructure Review, is part of the Mission Act. Senators Joe Manchin and Mike Reynolds introduced legislation that would cancel it.
*The software system developed by the DVA to implement the expanding of the Community Care is down. It is likely to disrupt healthcare for veterans.
Allison Alstrin – Project Got Your Back reporting
• The project started two years ago with the goal of bringing the community together with a stronger, unified voice for military and veteran issues. We have been conducting many events to further these goals, including the Service Provider Network Gatherings, and connecting with various veteran organizations.
*The project was recently rewarded a Collective Impact Grant from the Bush foundation for work in the next eighteen months on this project.
*Please attend the next JCF meeting on May 22nd in Minneapolis if you are interested in helping.
*As an example of the work the project is interested in doing, the St. Cloud Stand Down received money to buy a building and are looking pull resources together in the St. Cloud community to have a one stop shop for veterans.
*The next Service Providers meeting will be on April 17th.
Paralyzed Veterans of America – Todd Kemery reporting
• There is a shortage of nursing staff in the SCI (Spinal Cord Injury) units on a state and national level, which we are trying to raise.
*The National Veterans Wheelchair Games are coming up in July. Donations can be accepted at (mnpva.org).
*A nonprofit scuba has been started for disabled veterans. There will be a fishing contest at the end of July.
MN Military Museum at Camp Ripley – Randal Dietrich reporting
• The museum has been active at the capital this year, seeking funding to advance the John Vesey collection. John Vessey day will be June 29th.
*We are moving forward with our initiative to commemorate and look back at the Minnesota Since 9/11 Experience, both the civilian and soldier stories, and are seeking support.
*There was a good turn out for the Vietnam Veterans Day in Forest Lake.
*We are wrapping up our first series of Vietnam War roundtables at Concordia University. The next will be on April 15th, looking at the use of media during the war. April 18th will bring several Hmong pilots out to talk about their experiences. Finally, the last program will be May 20. More information can be found at (mnvietnam.org).
*There are several bills pending in the legislature, including one for a new museum.
4. Announcements
The next UVLC meeting will be May 1st. The June meeting will be held on June 10th.