chaptersinaction Grassroots Advocacy
Leaders of MOAA’s councils and chapters lobby at the state level to educate legislators, many of whom have never served in the military, about issues affecting local veterans and servicemembers and their families.
F
or the past few years, members of the Oregon Coun- cil of Chapters (CoC) (www
.moaaoregon.com) have worked with other veterans’ groups to encourage the state legislature to provide more funding for veterans’ programs and services via unallocated lottery rev- enue. In 2015, a petition advocated for allocating 5 percent of this revenue to veterans’ programs. Despite a strong effort from the Oregon CoC, the peti- tion did not get enough signatures, but they didn’t give up. “We continued to push informa- tion out to our chapters, and [they] reached out to their legislators,” says Brig. Gen. Dennis Merrill, USA (Ret), president of the Oregon CoC. “We also were an active participant in the United Veterans Groups of Oregon.” So when a bill was put to the leg-
islature and came up on the ballot during the November 2016 general election, it passed overwhelmingly. Nearly 85 percent of Oregonians
voted in favor of Measure 96, amend- ing the state constitution to dedicate 1.5 percent of unallocated lottery rev- enue to veterans’ services in the state. This will provide approximately $9.3 million for Oregon veterans’ programs and services annually. Though the passage of Meas-
ure 96 is a significant accomplish- ment, there’s still work to do. The
governor’s proposed budget calls for reducing general fund spending and using much of the lottery rev- enue to backfill the cut. “The money shouldn’t replace budget funds; it should supplement it,” Merrill says. The Oregon CoC participated in a hearing about the budget in February and continues to work the issue.
Educating legislators Every year, chapter members in Kan- sas head to the statehouse for “Hill Day” to meet with legislators to dis- cuss issues affecting the military and veterans’ community in their state. The event, held March 8 this year, is
“
think advocacy really is: education.
— Maj. Sheli Sweeney,
USAF (Ret), Kaw Valley (Kan.) Chapter
”
just one of numerous efforts to edu- cate state legislators about military and veterans’ issues. According to Maj. Sheli Sweeney,
USAF (Ret), president and previous legislative chair of the Kaw Valley (Kan.) Chapter (
www.moaa.org/ chapter/kawvalley), MOAA chapters in Kansas also send a written list of
That’s what I
initiatives to legislators each January, brief the Kansas House Veterans Com- mittee, and track the progress of bills and maintain contact with legislators about them. The chapters have had numerous wins, including extending in-state tuition rates to dependents of veterans who originally had been ex- cluded and passing legislation to allow veterans treatment courts in Kansas. But their efforts are ongoing. Every
fall, representatives from Kansas chapters participate in a statewide veterans service organization (VSO) meeting, during which representa- tives from numerous VSOs address, compare, and contrast issues affecting the military and veterans’ community. For 2017, the Kansas CoC has a list of about nine initiatives they’re advo- cating for, including ensuring all state agency-run on-the-job training and apprenticeship programs are GI bill- approved and urging the Kansas Sen- ate to create a veterans committee. Members have been at work educating state legislators about the issues. “Education is important,” Sweeney says. “Few [legislators] have served in the military, and the issues are always changing. That’s what I think advocacy really is: education.”
Improving the state Members of the Maryland CoC (www
.mdmoaa.org) regularly meet with
APRIL 2017 MILITARY OFFICER 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88