Legislative Update
Good morning,
It has been a busy week here at the Capitol, primarily because we have been meeting on the floor every day to consider and vote on our many budget bills. Several of the bills have been passed off the House floor, including Public Safety, Agriculture, Commerce, Veterans, Higher Education, Transportation, and more. Each of the bills were negotiated between the respective committee co-chairs, so there are both GOP and DFL provisions in each of the bills. The negotiation process has been tedious, and I am grateful for the work and leadership of our GOP chairs throughout. Several of our bills are still in the negotiation process, and we are working harder than ever with our May 19th adjournment day looming just around the corner.
Veterans Bill
One of the omnibus bills we heard this week was the Veterans bill. Although I don’t serve on the Veterans Committee, I am a 26-year Air Force veteran and have been actively involved in the committee’s work outside of my formal responsibilities. This is a deeply personal issue for me, and I take seriously any legislation that affects those who have worn the uniform. The bill that came to the floor was strong overall. It provides meaningful support and resources to veterans across the state of Minnesota. Far too often, veterans are neglected or forgotten in our systems, and this bill takes important steps toward changing that. I was proud to support the bill, and I appreciate the work that went into crafting it. Representative Olson, serving as the GOP Vice-Chair, advocated for increased funding to address veteran suicide, and he’s exactly right. The veteran suicide crisis has plagued our nation for far too long and continues to demand urgent attention long after service members return home.
However, during the floor debate, I did rise to speak against one specific amendment offered by Rep. Emma Greenman. I want to explain why I took that position, because this is an important issue and deserves careful consideration. The amendment was intended to combat the growing threat of claim sharks. These are individuals or companies who illegally charge veterans for assistance in filing VA benefit claims, often taking advantage of them during vulnerable times. Rep. Greenman’s amendment sought to align Minnesota’s process for accrediting claim agents with the federal system in order to strengthen protections. While I share the goal of cracking down on claim sharks, I believe the approach taken in the amendment is flawed. The federal accreditation process is far from effective and in some cases actively counterproductive. According to the VA itself, the process to become accredited takes over a year on average. That’s an unreasonable delay for anyone who wants to help.
Beyond the delay, the federal rules also prohibit individuals from providing advice on benefits unless they are formally accredited. That includes giving guidance to family members or close friends, even if the person offering help has real, lived experience with the system. It even applies if they offer to help at no charge. It gets worse. Federal employees, not affiliated with the Veterans Administration, are outright ineligible to become accredited claim agents. This creates a serious problem, because it excludes many qualified individuals who have the strong desire, background, and knowledge to make a difference.
For example, I have gone through the military separation process myself. If one of my sons, who are both currently serving, decided to leave the service and asked for my help, I would not be allowed to provide it unless I first completed the lengthy and restrictive federal accreditation process. Another example involves veterans who go on to become federal employees, such as Air Traffic Controllers with the FAA. Despite their military experience which makes them a perfect resource to help fellow veterans, they are completely barred from becoming accredited simply because of their status as a federal employee.
The goal of stopping claim sharks is absolutely the right one, and I support efforts to protect veterans from predatory practices. But adopting the federal process as-is will create more barriers than solutions. It will limit access to help for the very people we are trying to serve and cut off avenues of support from those best equipped to provide it. We owe it to Minnesota’s veterans to build a better system. We can and should regulate claim agents to prevent abuse, but we should do so in a way that reflects Minnesota’s values and addresses the shortcomings in the federal approach. We can do better, and our veterans deserve nothing less.
Chaplain of the Day: Father Frerichs
Each day the Minnesota House meets in floor session, we begin with a prayer offered by a religious leader from somewhere across the state. It’s a moment of reflection that grounds us before we turn to the work of legislating. On Monday, April 28, we were honored to welcome Father Gregory Frerichs from Sacred Heart Church in Waseca to deliver the opening prayer. His presence was especially meaningful, as his visit to the Capitol coincided with a major personal milestone: the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. We were grateful for his words and for the opportunity to recognize his decades of faithful service.
A Visit from Owatonna
‘Team Owatonna’ took a trip to the Capitol this week and I was able to show them around the facility. I really appreciate the working relationships that I have with our cities and community members, and having the opportunity to show them our world at the Capitol is very meaningful.
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