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Veteran bills on docket
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by Keegan Kyle
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
In a rare split over veterans' issues, Republican and Democratic state legislators Tuesday introduced separate bill packages that would benefit military veterans.
At a morning news conference, Assembly and Senate Democrats proposed veteran bills to reduce property taxes, increase access to health insurance, ban employment discrimination and offer medical treatment to people who have been exposed to depleted uranium.
Later in the afternoon, state Rep. Terry Musser, R-Black River Falls, released a similar veterans' package that he said was the product of bipartisan talks with state Sen. Jim Sullivan, D-Wauwatosa, and others.
"We were under the impression that this was a bipartisan package," Musser said. "I was taken back. I didn't know what was going on."
Musser said he heard early Tuesday morning that the Democrats were holding a news conference to announce the veterans' bill. Surprised, he decided to release a package he thought was going to be announced by members from both parties.
"This was kind of a rush deal," Musser said.
In retrospect, Sullivan said Musser, considered the Legislature's veteran figure on veterans' affairs, should have probably been invited to the news conference.
"There's really nothing partisan at all in how we announced the package," Sullivan said. "I think he should have been invited."
Sullivan said there might have been some miscommunication between the two about when and how they were going to announce the proposals. The freshman senator still considers Musser a good friend and mentor.
Josh Wescott, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson, D-Beloit, who attended the news conference, said Musser's absence was clearly "not an intentional sneak attack."
"When you have some news to tell, you tell it. What's different? Everyone does press conferences," Wescott said. "What you have here is like political jousting."
At a brief meeting with press officials Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, said he was disappointed the Democrats announced bills that had been created with bipartisan support.
"Those are things that we've been talking about with the Democrats for a couple weeks," Huebsch said. "I'm always surprised when the Democrats make something partisan that's never happened before."
Wescott said the news conference was not anything unusual.
"All we did today is say what we want to do," Wescott added. "Certainly Republicans have their proposals, too."
Also on Tuesday, Huebsch said he wants Musser to continue as chair of the Assembly's Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs.
Musser said he offered to resign from his post after being "embarrassed" about an admission last week that he was never a Green Beret in Vietnam. The representative did serve for two tours.
"I can think of no one who is better qualified in my chamber" to run the committee, Huebsch said.
Sullivan said he agrees with the speaker's decision, saying, "Veterans have no greater friend than Terry Musser."
Musser said it was never his intent to offend the military's special forces, and in the future, "I'll let the veterans' community be the jury of my actions."
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