The Leon Law Firm P.C., www.theleonlawfirm.com would like you to enjoy this article on this special day
Veterans Day honors heroes
By Jeff Wentworth
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/community/northwest/news/article/Veterans-Day-honors-heroes-2258691.php#ixzz1dPP89AIT
As a state senator, I often talk about what it means to be a public servant.
As we approach Veterans Day, however, I realized no one understands what it really means the way a veteran does.
How do we begin to thank someone who has given so much in service to his or her country? Texas tries.
The following are just a few of the laws passed earlier this year to show our appreciation to veterans, who have fought for, defended and preserved our freedoms.
The new Texas Coordinating Council for
Veterans Services will coordinate the activities of state agencies that assist veterans and service members.
They will bring together outreach efforts that make people aware of existing programs, working with local agencies and private organizations.
Next, a new “veteran” designation is available on driver's licenses of honorably discharged veterans.
We also changed the Tax Code to allow a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran to immediately benefit from a property tax exemption on the total appraised value of the residence homestead, rather than waiting until the following year.
We passed a law making it a Class C misdemeanor for a person to use fraudulent or fictitious military records.
Finally, we established a “College Credit for Heroes” demonstration project. The Texas Workforce Commission will identify and support methods to maximize academic or workforce education credit awarded by institutions of higher education to veterans and military service members for military experience, education and training obtained during military service to expedite their re-entry into the civilian workforce.
TEXVET (www.texvet.com) is a
Veteran Services Provider Network of information. It will save veterans time and effort when searching for services. For immediate help, please either call 2-1-1 or visit
www.211texas.org/211/ veterans/home.do?selectedMenuId=searchMenuId.
Texans have sent a clear message that the sacrifices made by veterans and their families are deeply appreciated, and there is an agency that will stand by them and take care of them: the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC). TVC leads all other large states in monetary recovery of veterans' compensation and pension benefits. It helps veterans obtain medical care, independent-living services, and an education. Visit
http://texas-veterans.com/ to learn more.
The Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) provides land, home, and home improvement loans. The
Texas State Veterans Home program provides long-term care services for Texas veterans, while the VLB operates three Texas State Veterans Cemeteries to allow veterans to be buried closer to home and families. Find details at
www.texasveterans.org.
Free legal assistance for civil matters is available through Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans, a program of the State Bar of Texas that develops and assists legal clinics for veterans.
This Veterans Day and every day, please thank a veteran and help a veteran by sharing this information that can make life a little easier for those to whom we owe so much.
Jeff Wentworth is Texas state senator for District 25, which includes northern Bexar County and all of Kendall, Comal, Hays and Guadalupe counties.
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/community/northwest/news/article/Veterans-Day-honors-heroes-2258691.php#ixzz1dPOpcaEH