FVCTN is happy to be a part of the Tennessee Veterans (TNVETS), a nonpartisan group focused on legislative actions that affect all veterans in the state. You can check out their website here.
Here are two messages they've asked us to provide to our members. Please engage directly with TNVETS if you'd like to get involved!
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Widest Distribution Requested
To all members of the 10 veteran organizations that compose TNVET. We are fast approaching a deadline.
Within the last 7-10 days you should have received an email from TNVET that was distributed through your respective veteran organization’s communication channels. As a reminder, that email information was as follows:
TNVET approved (Oct 2022 membership meeting) supporting a legislative effort to get a full Medical Cannabis program approved in Tennessee to help our veterans.
TNVET needs to locate and identify physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, pharmacists and other medically recognized professionals who have actually prescribed, observed/experienced or studied the medical conditions for which Medical Cannabis is a course of treatment that benefits the health needs of the affected veterans.
Please provide for the quickest and widest distribution possible of the attached within your veteran organization. Time is of the essence!
Tennessee is among the last 12 states that does not have an approved a Medical Cannabis program. We have received addition information on the Medical Cannabis Bill. The Bill will come before its first legislative committee (Judicial) for review and discussion on Tuesday, Feb 21. We currently do not have a specific meeting time. We again are searching for personnel that can come to Nashville on the 21st and speak in support of the topic as identified in the email. We need the name, email and a phone contact number of the person or persons that will assist with this effort and what medical or other background they have on the issue. The TNVET Executive board will coordinate and assist the person(s) in attending the meeting.
Although we did not ask for this info in our original email on the topic, if there is a veteran that currently goes out of state for treatment that involves Medical Cannabis (all but two states that touch Tennessee have such programs) and has the medical records (doctor visits, prescriptions, and/or any valid medical record) and may be willing to come and speak to the committee and provide (if needed/requested) the medical validation, we would like to hear from you. If you are a medical cannabis patient, but would rather not speak, but would like to help by allowing us use your experience/treatment as an example, then we would like to hear from you also. The reason we need medical validation of such cases/experience is due to the nature of the legislative process. It could come down to a favorable vote based on actual experience of such patients and the legislators (within medical norms and laws) may want support of any claims.
Please submit any information to info@tnvet.org by Feb 18th. If you have any questions, you may call 931-358-3579. If you do not get an immediate answer, please leave a message with your name and number and that you are calling on the medical cannabis bill.
Thank you,
TNVET Executive Board
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To all TNVET organizations and veteran members,
Please give this email the quickest and widest distribution possible
TNVET needs your help and involvement. As we had to cancel this year’s “Veterans Day On The Hill” we lost valuable facetime and effort with our legislators on the TNVET bills. One bill that is in the works, and that TNVET has been pushing for several years, is to “RESTORE” the second free motor vehicle license for all qualified 100 % disabled veterans. Eligible disable veterans had been granted the 2nd free plate for years, until 2014. That year, the legislature removed the free 2nd plate per action in Senate Bill 1913 and House Bill 1736. You may reference/read the bill that eliminated the 2nd plate bill at:
https://trackbill.com/bill/tennessee-house-bill-1736-special-license-plates-as-enacted-revises-and-clarifies-various-provisions-of-law-regarding-veteran-and-military-related-license-plates-amends-tca-title-55-chapter-4-and-chapter-318-of-the-public-acts-of-2013/639425/
Pages 3 and 4 contain the sections where the plate numbers were reduced for motor vehicles
Through continued TNVET research, the cost savings analysis of eliminating the 2nd plate was determined to be “NOT SIGNIFICANT” by the state of Tennessee in 2014. It appears the loss of the 2nd disabled/purple heart plate was to offset other types of plates that displayed some military action/honor. Last year when TNVET tried to restore the plate the cost was placed at almost $240,000. You may see the 2014 cost analysis at: https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/108/Fiscal/HB1736.pdf
TNVET is again trying to RESTORE the second plate based. Rep. Glynn (HB0700) and Sen. Yarbo (SB1162) are sponsoring bills for TNVET to restore the 2nd plate. To take advantage of this legislative support we need veterans to contact members of the House Transportation Committee and Senate Transportation and Safety Committee to show that support! Numbers matter! We need you to email and/or call (email leaves a trackable trail, which is better when dealing with legislation) the legislative members on these committees and voice your support!
It is expected that the House Transportation Committee will meet on this bill Feb 15. Thus, time is of the essence. The 25 members’ phone and email addresses of the House Transportation Committee members may be found at:
https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/CommitteeInfo/HouseComm.aspx?ga=113&committeeKey=895000
In the Senate, the bill has passed its initial review and is headed to the full Transportation and Safety Committee for review. The nine members’ phone and email addresses of the Senate Transportation Committee members may be found at:
https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/CommitteeInfo/SenateComm.aspx?ga=113&committeeKey=695000
When you email or contact your House or Senate member, if you are a constituent, let them know that….it carries weight with them. You are not limited to just contacting your own representatives. With district changes many veterans may know or have contact with several legislators and it serves to contact them all.
If you don’t know for sure who represents you, go to the following website and enter your address and your legislators will be identified:
https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/Apps/fml2022/search.aspx
Approximately 27,000 veterans are members of the ten organizations that compose TNVET. Your voice needs to be heard at the legislature. Please do so before Feb 15. If the bills can pass both the House and Senate committee, they will be forwarded to the next House and Senate Committee. That likely could be the Finance Committees for both legislatures. We will again need your voice to be heard in those committees. We will alert you when your support is needed in these committees.
We have provided an outline for you to email the House and Senate members below. You may use it as is, alter as you wish, or construct your own. The important thing is to act and contact!!!
Thank you,
TNVET Executive Board
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Example email:
Dear Representative or Senator XXXXX
I am contacting you to ask for your support of House Bill HB0700 (or Senate Bill 1162), which would restore the provision of a 2nd free license plate to eligible 100% disabled or Purple Heart Veterans by the State of Tennesse
These veterans were provided a 2nd plate for years, until 2014 when the legislature eliminated the second plate. Efforts to restore this service-connected benefit have failed in recent years. Our military brothers and sisters who have honorably served this country and experienced a level of trauma severe enough to result in a Veterans Administration and State of Tennessee recognized classification of 100% disability deserve this singular benefit in recognition of their service to this nation and for calling Tennessee home.
I would be very grateful for your support of this bill.
Thank you,
Sign
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