ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Committed to helping Illinois veterans, state Rep. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, recently hosted a town hall meeting at the Arlington Heights American Legion Post 208 for area veterans on state services and other issues important to our service men and women.
“We had a strong turnout of committed and thoughtful veterans at our town hall,” Walker said. “I’m also thankful Kathy Wager of the Illinois Deptartment of Employment Security (IDES) and Robert Iverson and Shynae Murphy from the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) could join us for this important discussion.”
Discussion at Walker’s town hall included presentations from representatives from IDES and IDVA on veterans’ employment, discounts and what services IDVA Service Officers provide to local veterans. Walker also discussed his work on veterans legislation, such as Senate Bill 1468 which expands military discounts to a veteran or active duty service member’s spouse and dependents, as well as House Bill 34 which, if passed, would extend a veteran’s homestead exemption on property taxes to their surviving spouse.
“Though some may not realize it, we do a lot at the state level to help our veterans with the services they may need,” Walker said. “From helping to get veterans jobs to assisting with medical, fiscal and transportation needs, we have many options for veterans of all ages. I’m also happy to say we’ve been doing important work in the General Assembly improving the lives of some of our most deserving citizens and patriots. As we begin a new legislative session, I’m excited to do even more to help our veterans.”
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