On the home front

Senate Democrats’ bills assist military members, veterans

Hanging on a wall in Sen. Steve Hobbs’ office is a set of Army fatigues from his days of service in Iraq and Kosovo. More than a dozen service medals line his shelves. A pair of well-worn combat boots and a sword sit atop his book case. Elsewhere on his walls, the portraits of former presidents — from John F. Kennedy and Harry Truman to Abe Lincoln and Bill Clinton — are interspersed with framed military patches and prints spanning the Civil War to Vietnam.

Not every senator’s office boasts the decorations of the freshman from Lake Stevens. But Senate Democrats throughout the caucus are unified in their support of military veterans. In the first month of the 2007 session, Democrats have proposed more than a dozen bills to help veterans in everything from housing and jobs to college tuition and survivor benefits.

Hobbs — perhaps not surprising given his background as a recently discharged veteran — was the quickest out of the blocks with Senate Bill 5242, which would create internships for returning wounded veterans in jobs that match their skills in the Washington State Department of Transportation.

“Finding an affordable wage job is hard enough under normal circumstances, but it’s even harder for someone coming back from military service wounded or disfigured,” Hobbs said. “This will help give the returning veterans who sacrificed on our behalf a fair chance at succeeding when they return to civilian settings.”

Hobbs quickly followed that with SB 5123, a proposal to extend the state’s discrimination protections to cover all honorably discharged veterans and active or reserve service personnel. Another bill proposed by Hobbs, SB 5029, would close a loophole in the scoring of civil service exams to make sure job applicants receive additional points based on their veteran status. And Hobbs’ SB 5430 would allow state employees to donate sick leave to co-workers who are called into military service.

“Many of my peers are still overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I know what they’re going through,” said Hobbs. “We need to do everything we can to help them in the many transitions they face upon their return.”

Honoring a promise made at the end of the 2006 legislative session, Senate Democrats opened the 2007 session by passing a bill sponsored last year by Rep. Dan Roach, R-Bonney Lake, to prohibit disruptive behavior at military funerals. But that was just the start.

Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, whose district encompasses the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, wants the state to pursue a goal of steering at least 3 percent of projects to businesses owned by veterans (SB 5253). Another bill of Kilmer’s, SB 5289, would require the state to develop and maintain a current list of veteran-owned businesses and to create a logo that can be displayed to identify these businesses to the public.

SB 5255, proposed by Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, would issue a high school diploma to anyone who left high school before graduation to serve in the armed forces. SB 5256, proposed by Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, would exclude veterans benefits when calculating property tax relief for retirees.

SB 5040, proposed by Sen. Tracey J. Eide, D-Federal Way, would provide scholarships for surviving spouses and dependants of military members who lose their lives or become totally disabled while serving on active duty. Sen. Chris Marr, D-Spokane, has proposed the creation of a state veterans cemetery to accommodate veterans east of the Cascades (SB 5058).

Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, wants to establish a Dollars for Military Scholars program that would provide grants for active or retired military members, as well as their spouses and dependents (SB 5280). Another bill by Jacobsen, SB 5164, would require the state Department of Natural Resources to help enrollees in the Veterans Conservation Corps obtain jobs in conservation programs and projects that restore and maintain Washington’s natural habitat.

“We owe a great deal to those who serve in our armed forces,” Kilmer said. “It’s only appropriate that we show our respect and appreciation for their service by serving their needs in civilian life.”