If you are of a betting persuasion, take the odds on swift legislative action on bills that will help Washington veterans find free legal representation. The measures, HB 2496 and SB 6300, are modeled after a pioneering program in Nevada that assisted its first clients last year. The idea was hatched by that state’s attorney general, Adam Paul Laxalt, a former U.S. Navy judge advocate general. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/jan/16/bet-on-bill-to-steer-veterans-to-legal-help/

Joint Committee On Veterans' and Military Affairs agenda 11-6-15    WAStLeg-JCVMA 2015 Joint Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs 12-16-2015  agenda 3 Military Installations and Civilian Land Use Compatibility 12-16-2015

MARYSVILLE — At the Armed Forces Reserve Center here on Wednesday, dozens of people lined up to enter the conference rooms set aside for the Snohomish County Regional Job and Resource Fair. While open to everyone, the event was designed with military veterans in mind, from the choice of venue to the event’s promotion, to the kinds of employers and other organizations that took part. Several police departments, community colleges and staffing

The Department of Veterans Affairs needs “tens of thousands” more personnel working in VA hospitals and clinics to meet patient demand, new VA Secretary Robert “Bob” McDonald told lawmakers Tuesday at a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. The size of the staff shortage, McDonald said, explains why the VA has launched “a big recruiting effort” that he kicked off recently with visits to Duke University and University of Pennsylvania

As his back pain swelled last year, Richard Scheeder could not get into the Seattle Veterans Affairs hospital for the test he needed to move forward with a medical plan. In fact, he could not even get his phone calls answered for 10 days at the clinic he needed. It wasn’t the first time that Navy veteran Scheeder, 77, ran an into overwhelmed VA Puget Sound medical system in recent years. The delays he experienced were so bad he wondered if anyone

Perhaps the first thing veterans using GI Bill education benefits should understand about new “in-state tuition” protection that Congress approved last month is that it won’t take effect for another year, by fall semester 201 That delay will give state-run colleges and universities — or, in some cases, state legislatures — time to prepare policies or laws to lower tuition and fees for non-resident veterans to match what in-state students

Harlem Hellfighter Henry Lincoln Johnson is another step closer to being the second black WWI hero to be awarded the Medal of Honor. The Oregonian reported Sept. 4 that a campaign launched by former New York Sen. Joe DioGuardi and continued by Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish; Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Ron Wyden of Oregon; and The Skanner News, seems to be succeeding. Read The Oregonian's story here.  http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2014/09/wwi_african-american_soldier_h.html

America's population of living veterans fell by almost 5 million, or 17 percent, from 2000 to 2013. So why did the number of veterans drawing disability compensation climb by 55 percent over that period? And why has yearly VA disability payments tripled since 2000 to reach $60 billion in 2014? http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20140905/NEWS01/140909700