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Oklahoma Senate
Area legislators honored by Oklahoma Veterans Council
OKLAHOMA CITY – The House and Senate gathered in joint session Wednesday in honor of Veterans Awareness Day. Each year, the Oklahoma Veterans Council, which consists of 24 veterans organizations around the state, honors one senator and one house member as legislators of the year for their support and dedication to helping Oklahoma’s veterans through legislation. This year, Sen. Frank Simpson and Rep. Tommy Hardin received the awards.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized for our work but it is especially touching to be recognized by our fellow veterans,” said Simpson, R-Ardmore. “Helping our brothers and sisters in arms has been our main focus since getting into office and it will remain so. These heroes have given so much for their country and they deserve only the best services our state can provide. Rep. Hardin and I will continue to work to make sure that they and their families get those services.”
Simpson was also named Senator of the Year in 2012.
The pair has worked diligently the last three years on improving services for Oklahoma’s veterans. Among others, they have authored and got signed into law, bills to:
improve oversight of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA)
subject nursing facilities operated by ODVA to the requirements of the Nursing Home Care Act
authorize ODVA to establish education and training programs for positions critical to the quality
care of veterans residing within Department institutions
provide non-institutional, community-based care for aging and/or chronically/terminally ill
veterans who are unable to live independently and do not have a caregiver who is able to
manage their medical, emotional and/or psychosocial needs
extend a portion of the sales tax exemption provided to 100% disabled veterans to their
unmarried widows
authorizing the Department of Public Safety to create driver’s licenses with a small flag in one
corner, to serve as a designation of veteran status.
“I’m glad that the House and Senate have worked together to take care of our heroes in recent years. So many issues get turned into political footballs at the Capitol but the well-being and livelihoods of our veterans should never be one those issues,” said Hardin, R-Madill. “I’m honored to have received this special award and I want to thank Sen. Simpson for his leadership and for helping me fight for our veterans.”
This year, the legislators are working on bills to:
change the name of the War Veterans Commission of Oklahoma to the Oklahoma Veterans Commission to expand the representation of the commission to include a broader demographic of Oklahoma veterans.
provide free tuition to state technology centers, colleges or universities for those 100 percent disabled veterans who were injured while serving in the line of duty since September 11, 2001. It’d also apply to their spouses and children as well as those families of veterans killed-in-action since that time.
make all Oklahoma veterans, regardless of whether they are peacetime or war veterans, eligible for all state veterans benefits including access to the state’s seven veterans centers
Simpson, Chairman of the Senate Veterans Committee, served in the U.S. Navy for 26 years active duty retiring in 1988. During his naval career, he served on nine sea commands; including a six month deployment with the Multinational Peacekeeping Force in Beirut, Lebanon. He received the Navy Commendation Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal and numerous other awards and citations.
Hardin, Vice Chair of the House Veterans Committee, served six years in the U.S. Marines.
