As I was reflecting this Memorial Day, I was reminded of all the sacrifices our men and women in uniform made throughout history. Our county would not be the great nation it is today without their heroic actions, and the freedoms we enjoy would not exist. As a veteran, Memorial Day also reminds me of my time in the Army, and I understand how difficult it can be to transition from military to civilian life. Every day men and women from our community put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, and this session, I was proud to support legislation, working for these heroes.
With that in mind, I championed legislation that works to reduce certain stress factors facing veterans that are deployed or serving on active duty. I coauthored House Enrolled Act 1456 which creates the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. This law will allow members of the Indiana National Guards to prolong certain responsibilities like debt collections, foreclosures or evictions while they are deployed.
Unfortunately, the unemployment rate for veterans, especially post 9/11 veterans, continues to be too high, which is something we worked to address this year. I supported Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 298 which works to give veterans more opportunities for employment. The bill provides a voluntary veterans' preference policy for the hiring, promoting, and retaining of a veteran in private employment.
Additionally, we passed legislation that makes education more affordable for members of the Indiana National Guard who do not reside in Indiana. SEA 434 provides that those individuals can pay in-state tuition rates for undergraduate and graduate courses. This is also applicable to certain veterans and individuals who serve on active military duty. I was proud to support legislation that makes post-secondary education more affordable for veterans.
Countless brave men and women, many Hoosiers among them, have paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy today, and this is something we can never take for granted.
Moving forward, I will continue to support legislation that betters the lives of Hoosier veterans. As always, I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions, comments or concerns by calling 317-232-9815 or emailing h74@in.gov.
-30-
Rep. Arnold (R-Leavenworth) represents portions of Spencer, Dubois, Perry, Crawford and Orange counties.
