Representative Thomas Albert sent us the following update on his work in the Michigan Legislature.
As a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, I am committed to fighting for legislation that assists the men and women who served our country well.
Bills to Help Veterans with Employment, Voting
I recently introduced a bill that would benefit veterans who chose a career with the State of Michigan after leaving the Armed Forces. Currently, when hiring new employees, the State of Michigan will commonly not consider service in the Armed Forces as relevant professional experience. This means that veterans often start at the lowest pay grade for their position.
I myself experienced this when I went to work for the State Bureau of Investments after I left the Marine Corps. Despite being an officer who had gained invaluable experience in communications, logistics and leadership, I was starting at the same pay grade as a 22 year old who had just graduated from college. Not allowing military service to be counted as professional experience puts veterans who want to enter a career in civil service, but also have a family to provide for, in a tough position.
For this reason, I have introduced a veteran’s compensation bill, which would impact public sector employees. This legislation will ensure that the state classify serving in the Armed Forces as “relevant professional experience.” Rather than penalizing our veterans for choosing to serve and protect our county, the State of Michigan should value the knowledge and experience a veteran has gained during their service and hire accordingly.
This bill was passed out of the Military and Veterans Committee on October 3rd and will go to the House floor for a full vote.
This month, I also co-sponsored legislation that will make it easier for active duty military members to vote while they are serving away from home. Introduced by former Military and Veterans Committee Chair, Representative Tom Barrett, HB 4984 requires that the State of Michigan allow ballots to be returned electronically. This bill builds off the federal Military and Overseas Voters Empowerment Act, which requires that every state provide at least one electronic form of absentee voting.
Task Force Seeking Your Input
The House C.A.R.E.S. Task Force (named for its commitment to community, access, resources, education and safety) continues its work this month by traveling throughout the state to learn from officials who work with individuals with mental health challenges. This task force will seek to find ways that the state legislature can assist citizens who struggle with mental and emotional health issues. Because our veterans are often impacted by such illnesses, the task force will dedicated a portion of its efforts to veteran resources. If you have an idea you would like to share, please visit the task force website.
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