NECman: It’s the time of year to reach out to lawmakers, tell them about veterans

Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a very enjoyable Christmas. Many posts put on a meal or an event for their members.

Thanks for doing that.

Now is the time to start thinking about Girls’ Fastpitch Softball, American Legion Baseball and Legion School Patrol. We need more children. Find participants for Boys State and Girls State.

Has your post ever had a Valentine’s Day Party for its members? Just a thought. Please do a buddy check on those members you have NOT seen for some time. Go visit them.

The new year brings our senators and representatives back to St. Paul.  Please contact them. They can fix the damage they did last spring to all the nonprofits to put e-tabs back the way it was. All those dollars go to help our communities, schools, emergency medical technicians, law enforcement, children and youth, and food banks. 2024 is an election year. It is not about being a Democrat or Republican; it is doing what is right for Minnesota and all the people, not a select few.

Washington Conference is coming Feb. 24 to 28. Many people from Minnesota will attend and visit with our two senators, Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar, along with our members in the House of Representatives: Brad Finstad, Angie Craig, Dean Phillips, Betty McCollum, Ilhan Omar, Tom Emmer, Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber.

We need proper funding for our veterans, the VA hospitals, VA health care and the homeless. They love to send young women and men to war but really don’t want to take care of them when they return home.

In closing, please sign up a new member, they need The American Legion, and we need and can help them.

Bill Barbknecht of Underwood Post 489 is the Department of Minnesota’s National Executive Committeeman.