Daley's Veterans Employment Bills Signed into Law

Minnesota's unemployment rate for veterans, measured at nearly 23 percent in February, is the third highest in the nation, according to the Star Tribune.

It's a problem that caught the eye of Sen. Ted Daley (R), who earlier this year authored SF 1599. The bill allows private, nonpublic employers in Minnesota to grant preference in hiring and promotion to military veterans, or the spouses of disabled or deceased veterans. Last Wednesday, Gov. Mark Dayton signed the measure into law after the bill passed on unanimous votes in both the Senate and House.

“This bill will simplify the hiring process for veterans so that we can capitalize upon the range of talents and professional values that service members bring to our businesses and communities,” Daley wrote in a press release issued late last week.

The bill is one of two measures authored or co-authored by Daley that reached the governor's desk last week.

Daley is also listed as a co-author of SF 1689, a measure proposed by Sen. Al DeKruif (R) and signed into law last week. DeKruif's bill permits state agencies to give special emphasis to the recruitment of veterans. Under the bill's stipulations, veterans recuperating from an documented injury or disease incurred during military service may also take a leave of absence without pay and can bring a civil lawsuit against the state for any violation of the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.