When I think about the future of our great nation and the many challenges that lie ahead, I find strength and immense pride and comfort in the selfless service and sacrifice of the brave men and women in our military. There’s no doubt that our nation can face any challenge head on because we are a nation full of volunteer heroes like these — generation after generation — who have answered the call to serve. We are forever endeared to you and so deeply grateful.

This year, between the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, economic shutdown and the heated political climate, we have faced new struggles that most of us have never imaged but, by working together, we will continue to persevere. Our veterans are an example to all of us in these difficult times, reminding us of the values of teamwork, community and patriotism.

That’s why I’ve worked hard to put together a new package of legislation for our veterans who are especially deserving of our appreciation as they return home after active service. My plan would help veterans get back into the workforce with the Veteran Owned Business Enterprise Act and create a task force on veteran employment opportunities. My plan would also acknowledge the value of your service by increasing civil service credits for military service, provide educational credit for service and develop a high school diploma program for veterans.

Veterans’ healthcare also remains a top priority. To address this, I propose creation of a Veterans Health Savings Account to give veterans more flexibility, building three new veterans nursing homes, creating a program to help find missing veterans (similar to Amber Alert) and requiring coroners to report veteran suicides so that we can use this data to do more to prevent deaths and assist in mental healthcare.

Because veterans and their families have sacrificed so much already, my plan includes smaller ways our state can say “thank you” by helping to improve the quality of life for veterans when they come home. Under my plan, veterans would be allowed to use cabins and cottages at public places free of charge, service-connected disabled veterans or Purple Heart recipients would have free use of all state parks and campsites and the state would create commemorative veterans-specific license plates. Protecting war memorials should be paramount and my plan also involves reforms to streamline the process so that veterans and their families can get their medals in a much more efficient timeframe.

The biggest and most important component of my plan would be the creation of a state department to oversee veterans’ issues and help ensure veterans are updated on the latest resources available to them. I would also make sure veterans are provided with all the new benefits every time they apply for or renew their drivers’ license. It’s the very least our state can do to show our thanks and appreciation.