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HB 1056: Deutsch Changes Veteran’s Hiring Preference to Interview Guarantee

South Dakota Department of Veterans AffairsAt least Rep. Fred Deutsch isn’t slacking off. In a move perhaps intended to ameliorate some veterans’ concerns about last year’s expansion of eligibility for veterans’ public hiring preferences to National Guard members, Rep. Deutsch introduces his second bill of the 2016 Session, House Bill 1056. This measure, more tolerable than his paranoid potty bill, would require job applicants seeking hiring preference for their military service to “complete and sign an employment application on which the applicant is asked if the applicant has served in the military and received an honorable discharge.”

Under current law (SDCL 3-3-2), if public employers find that an applicant claiming veterans’ hiring preference “is of good moral character and can perform the duties of the position,” they “shall appoint the applicant to the position.” HB 1056 changes that stipulation to say that if an applicant claiming veterans’ hiring preference “possesses at least the minimum qualifications necessary to fill the position,” the [ublic employer “shall interview the applicant.”

That seems to be a big change: HB 1056 transforms the hiring preference to a mere interview preference.

HB 1056 also requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to send written notices of current state law on veterans’ preference in employment twice yearly to all public employers. (Boy, what is it about Republican legislators proposing more bureaucracy this year?)

Rep. Deutsch has lined up 100 co-sponsors out of his 104 colleagues. The only legislators not signed onto HB 1056 yet are Reps. Jim Bolin, Dan Kaiser, and Wayne Steinhauer and Senator Larry Tidemann.

13 Comments

  1. Nick Nemec 2016-01-19 13:22

    Why does Rep Deutsch hate veterans? Why is nearly every legislator going along? Am I missing something?

  2. Bill Dithmer 2016-01-19 13:42

    This is what our returning vets coming home have to look forward to.

    While the rest of the people in this country have an unemployment rate of about .08% the vets coming home have a rate of 17%. “THAT’S A NATIONAL DISGRACE”

    Our homeless vets on any given night are right at 76,000. “THAT’S A NATIONAL DISGRACE”

    Only eight percent of the general population can claim veteran status, but nearly one-fifth of the homeless population are veterans. “THAT IS A NATIONAL DISGRACE”

    It now takes as long as 80 days for a vet to get a mental evaluation. “THAT’S A NATIONAL DISGRACE”

    Whether you agree with any of the wars we are in at this time, I don’t, you have to agree that our veterans are being treated like s–t. The promises that were made when they agreed to put their lives on the line for us,”US” are pretty damn slow in coming a lot of the time, and in fact sometimes don’t materialize at all. We are supposed to be leaders of the free world not followers. There are other countries that are watching how we treat our vets and it aint pretty. Honestly we treat illegal aliens better then we treat those that keep us safe. WTF.

    There is plenty of shame, blame, to go around. Politicians from both parties are more worried about their re elections, PACs, corporate donors, and their tans, then about the people that serve. Isn’t it time for a change all around?

    All of you people in DC sit the f–k up and take notice. If you are going to keep fighting across the aisle and not try to get along, GET THE HELL OUT AND LET SOMEONE ELSE DO THE JOB YOU WERE ELECTED TO.

    If you are going to continue to worry about the billionaires having a hard time making it. Stop that they aren’t having as much trouble as our vets are and probably haven’t done as much for you either. GOEE HOMEE

    If you are worried about your religion not being represented everywhere, stop that crap. If you just keep it to yourself we would all be in better shape. But for those that want to bring it up and not get anything else done, GO BACK HOME AND START YOUR OWN CHURCH.

    If you are more worried about getting your money from big oil then getting down to the business of running the country, GET THE HELL OUT OF TOWN AND LET SOMEONE THAT CARES DO YOUR JOB.

    And if the failed “WAR ON DRUGS” is more important to you then helping the people that have served its time to check your liquor cabinet to see if you just might be a hypocrite. Then pack your s–t and “GET THE HELL FOR HOME AND LIVE OUT YOUR LIFE ON OUR PENSION.

    Most of the people in this country are really great people. It’s the divisiveness of the ones in DC that are causing the problems for the rest of us. Isn’t it time to let these people do what they do best, SCOOP S–T?

    And finally this. “Of the more than 30,000 suicides in this country each year, fully 20 percent of them are acts by veterans” I don’t know about you but that just makes me mad, and, “THAT IS A NATIONAL DISGRACE”

    The Blindman

  3. Douglas Wiken 2016-01-19 15:50

    Right on, Bill. The hypocrisy of the right on patriotism and flag waving is truly a disgusting disgrace.

  4. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-01-19 18:50

    I’m with Nick in puzzlement. HB 1056 doesn’t look like the kind of bill in which one wraps oneself for patriotism points. What is the enormous appeal of this bill?

  5. leslie 2016-01-19 20:01

    Great rant dithmer. I agree. Am guessing the relatively small numbers nation-wide more than make up for the 100 thinking a hire on the spot might be more than vets earned.

  6. Dan 2016-01-19 21:02

    I think this bill clarifies the original bill. As written, the bill says if the person is of good character and can perform the job, they shall be given the job. On the surface this is fine, but you can see how this may be a problem in, say, a school for a teaching position. There are other jobs where it could probably apply but lets look at it from a school perspective. Simply having a teaching certificate and being of good character does not necessarily make you the best choice to put in front of a group of kids. However, under the original law the school would have to hire the person, experience or prior references aside.

    The veteran is guarunteed an interview and preference if all things are equal. I am a veteran. I think this is appropriate and I support it. I know this was run through Veterans Affairs and they approve of it. I can see how it looks bad on the surface but I don’t think there is any ill intent on this one.

  7. CK 2016-01-20 05:53

    The fact of the matter is that most employers don’t even follow the original law. I know of one veteran who has applied for five jobs in a small town, and has yet to even be given an interview.

    As a veteran myself, I can guarantee you I will be writing my representatives, and informing everyone I know of this disgraceful bill.

  8. Jim Metz 2016-01-20 08:30

    The problem is in my opinion that for any individual to be on a government payroll they should be rewquired to have served in the military in some capacity. Then, just maybe some of these knuckleheads in government can see what our troops really do sacrifice to serve and to protect, I think many of them truly have no clue what veterans go through. IMO

  9. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-01-20 09:10

    Every government worker, Jim? Including kindergarten teachers? Professors at SDSU? County auditors? Snowplow drivers?

  10. caheidelberger Post author | 2016-01-20 09:31

    CK, are those jobs with public employers? Are private employers included in any veterans’ preference rules?

  11. Douglas Wiken 2016-01-20 15:44

    Veterans preference is a bad idea. It enforces inequality.

  12. CK 2016-01-20 16:33

    How does veterans’ preference reinforce inequality?

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