Memorial Day Update - from our e-Newsletter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Friends and Neighbors, Memorial Day is a day when Americans come together with parades, speeches, memorials, prayers and ceremonies to honor our service men and women who paid the ultimate price for liberty. We remember their sacrifices and their bravery so we may live peacefully in this blessed land. On Thursday morning the Legislature honored our Michigan soldiers who had answered the call of our nation and gave, as President Lincoln long ago recalled in his Gettysburg Address, “a last full measure of devotion.” But their fealty to purpose would be lost if we fail to recognize and remember an even greater lesson --how precious and fleeting-- is the cause for freedom. Our Michigan soldiers, let their names ring out! They challenge us to trust one another as we work to build and protect our nation. Its worth fighting for. And it is with a heart of deepest gratitude that we dedicate ourselves to the rallying call of the first American soldiers of the Revolutionary War: “always free, free always!” Serving with and for you, Mike Shirkey State Representative -------------------------- Memorial Day Events in the 65th District Eaton Rapids Memorial Day Parade: 11:00 am Grass Lake Memorial Day Parade: 10:00 am Brooklyn Memorial Day Observation: 10:00 am Springport Memorial Day Parade and Concert: 10:55 am -------------------------- LEGISLATIVE UPDATE - PROVIDING VETERANS BENEFIT INFORMATION At almost 700,000 veterans in our state, Michigan is home to the 11th-largest veterans’ population in the United States. Many would agree that we should support veterans; it’s the honorable thing to do for those men and women who so willingly put their lives on the line in defense of our country. This month our legislature had an opportunity to do so. We are pleased to announce that the House Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs held hearings on measures which make it easier for government agencies to identify veterans in order to make them aware of benefits available to them. Our office was pleased to take part in this helpful legislation with House Bill 5534. Part of a larger package of House Bills 5529-5535, HB 5534 would require the Department of Human Services to ask each applicant at the time of an initial application for assistance and redetermination for assistance if he or she is a veteran. If the applicant is a veteran, the department would be required to forward that information to the Department of Military and Veterans affairs so that they can be enrolled in other benefit programs for veterans that they may not be aware of. It is our goal to ensure that when our veterans return home, they can be confident that our state honors and appreciates their service. These bills are a small, but common-sense gesture which says “thank you.” NEW VETERANS DRIVERS LICENSE AVAILABLE On May 1st, the Michigan Secretary of State started taking applications for a special designation on veteran’s drivers licenses or state identification cards so that they can quickly and easily show proof of service. This should help ensure veterans no longer have to remember to continually carry discharge paperwork on them, giving them better access to job opportunities and the many veteran’s discounts that some companies offer. To get the special designation, a person has to show proof of an honorable discharge while at the Secretary of State office the next time they renew. For veterans who want to get the designation before their license is up for renewal, they can go to a Secretary of State branch office now and order a new license for $9, which is the cost for the state to make a new card. -------------------------- Helpful sites for our veterans: Michigan Dept. of Veterans Affairs: michigan.gov/dmva Veterans Service Organizations: michigan.gov/documents/dmva/Service_Officers_402712_7.pdf?20140522120227 County Contacts for Veterans: michiganveterans/Home/Benefit-Counselors
Posted on: Fri, 23 May 2014 14:15:28 +0000
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