Fifth annual Military and Veterans Legislative Day set for Monday
INDIANAPOLIS – The Fifth Annual Military and Veterans Legislative Day – a bipartisan event designed to give Hoosier veterans a chance to talk to lawmakers about issues affecting their lives – will take place Monday (February 11) at the Indiana Statehouse.
The event is co-hosted by State Reps. John L. Bartlett (D-Indianapolis) and Dennis Zent (R-Angola) and State Sens. Jim Tomes (R-Wadesville) and David Niezgodski (D-South Bend). Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch will be the keynote speaker for the day, which is expected to attract up to 1,000 veterans from across Indiana.
“Of course the centerpiece of this event is the opportunity for our veterans to meet with their state representatives and senators and talk about the issues that are important to them,” Bartlett said. “We want to hear from these brave men and women about the legislation we should be passing to improve their lives and the lives of their families. There will be representation from many organizations, associations, businesses, and state agencies who work with veterans, and vendors will be in attendance to provide information on services that are available.”
Zent said, “As a U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force veteran and member of the House Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee, I strive to represent the interests of Hoosier men and women in uniform. I encourage all service members and veterans to remain active in their communities and bring attention to the issues that impact them and their families.”
Tomes said, “As a veteran myself, I look forward to seeing a big presence of military members and veterans at the Statehouse Monday,” Tomes said. “For the past several years, I have participated in the event, but this will be my first as chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and the Military. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as a host for this very special day.”
Niezgodski said, “Hoosiers and Americans owe a great debt to our veterans. Our freedom, which we so earnestly hold dear, is attributed to the sacrifices veterans have borne for the lives of this generation and of those yet to come. Our enduring spirit of freedom endures for one simple reason, because of the self-sacrifice and the heroism that veterans have freely given to all of us.”
The day’s events will begin at 10:30 a.m. Monday. In addition to the lieutenant governor’s speech, which will begin around 11:15 a.m., the program will include remarks from the hosts for the event and the state commanders for the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and a review of legislation affecting veterans that is before the General Assembly.