Following strong opposition from veterans, an Assembly committee has postponed voting on a bill that would change the role of county veterans service officers in connecting veterans with the benefits they are entitled to.
Angry veterans lined up to speak against the bill at a hearing Thursday. Opponents expressed fear that it would reduce the number of county service officers who work one-on-one with vets. Iraq war veteran Steve Acheson told the committee that without the help he got from the Dane County Veterans Service Office, he never would have received treatment for the post-traumatic stress disorder he suffered from.
“During a time when we are seeing upwards of 22 veterans a day killing themselves, and an increased number of veterans living on the streets, unemployed and suffering from combat related injuries, the last thing you should even be considering as a Legislature are laws that further restrict veterans access to critical services,” Acheson said.
Stay informed on the latest news
Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.
The bill’s authors have backed off the original legislation and now propose a task force made up of veterans service organizations to to study ways to improve the delivery of services.
Other opponents who testified Thursday called for the creation of a legislative council study committee to work on possible changes to the system for providing veterans services. They said that will ensure a bipartisan approach that includes input from veterans and the wide array of veterans service organizations in the state.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
