ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Tuesday, the Senate State and Local Government and Veterans Committee held an informational hearing on conditions for staff and residents at the Hastings Veterans Home. Committee members heard testimony and asked questions of Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Larry Herke, current and former veterans home staff, and Mike Maxa, adjutant to the American Legion Department of Minnesota. Following the hearing, Chair Erin Murphy (DFL-Minneapolis) released the following statement:
“I want to thank everyone who participated in last night’s hearing, and who has illuminated the serious issues facing our treasured veterans and their care providers. I believe everyone in that room cares deeply about the well-being of our veterans. I appreciate the steps Commissioner Herke is taking to build a collaborative, responsive workplace environment where our care providers and staff are respected and their work is valued. We learned about these issues at the start of this term, and it is my intention that we will see them resolved within this term. Our committee will continue to monitor progress at The Hastings Veterans Home. We provide veterans programs and facilities with funding they need. We will, and must, ensure that those resources are sufficient, and used to improve the conditions of our veterans homes, to make these facilities places where our caregivers want to work and our veterans want to live.”
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