When I first went to Springfield two years ago, I promised our veterans I would fight for them. It seemed the state was giving Illinois veterans a raw deal, and I knew we could do better. I haven’t been in Springfield long but wanted to fill you in on what I’ve accomplished so far.
I’ve worked to pass legislation to protect veterans from scams (SB 3479), improve the pipeline for sheriff’s offices to hire veterans (SB 2778), and to break down barriers for disabled veterans to improve their homes (SB 2751).
While this is a great start, there’s still work to be done. I’ve proposed legislation to give veterans a paid day off for Veteran’s Day (HB 4128), waive vehicle registration fees for active-duty military personnel (HB 1563), and create a Veterans’ Licensure and Workforce Task Force (HB 1217).
While we did some good work for veterans, the budget missed the mark. There is no part of Illinois’ budget that provided direct property tax relief for veterans, despite billions going toward illegal migrants. In fact, Illinois is spending more state money on free healthcare for migrants than they are on veterans’ services through the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. This budget fails Illinois veterans.
While Democrats in Springfield have voted to give themselves a pay raise and spend billions on illegal migrants, I’m focused on improving the lives of Illinois veterans. Our veterans have given so much of their life for us, and the least we can do is make sure they’re taken care of at home. I’ll continue to fight for issues important to our veterans.
I’m always looking for ideas for new legislation from constituents, so if you have any other ideas, please give my office a call at 618-215-1050.
Kevin Schmidt, State Representative IL-114