May is National Military Appreciation Month. The members of the United States (US) Armed Forces continue to play an integral role in the development and protection of our country and freedoms. This month gives us the opportunity to demonstrate appreciation for past and present military personnel and their families for their service and sacrifices.
There are multiple branches of the US military within the US Department of Defense. Each branch of the military is over 200 years old, with the exception of the US Air Force founded in 1947. The U.S. Space Force (USSF) is the newest branch of the Armed Forces, established December 20, 2019. Each branch of the military has unique roles in protecting our nation. You can find links to the official websites and a brief overview of each branch of the armed forces at https://www.defense.gov/About/Military-Departments/Uniformed-Services/.
The month of May has the most days set aside for celebrating and commemorating our military’s achievements. There are several national observances during this month. Loyalty Day, May 1st, is dedicated to the reaffirmation of loyalty to the US and to reflect on the heritage of our American freedom. May 2nd-8th is Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW). During PSRW, we honor the men and women who serve our nation as federal, state, county, and local government employees. May 8th is Victory in Europe Day, also known as VE Day. On this day in 1945, World War II ended due to Germany surrendering to the Allies. Every Friday before Mother’s Day, May 7th this year, is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. We honor the families of our soldiers and sailors since they keep our Armed Forces strong and our country safe. Armed Forces Day, May 15th, is dedicated to honoring all the patriotic Americans who have made the choice to serve our country. May 31st is Memorial Day. This day is dedicated to honoring our veterans and commemorating those who died while servicing our country.
Our military service members’ past, present, and future represent the highest caliber of professionalism and should be commended for their service to our country. Throughout this month, I hope you will take the opportunity to say ‘thank you” to our men and women in uniform.
We are in the final month of the 87th Legislative Session. Sine Die, the final day, of this Session is May 31st. Until then, the Legislature will continue to hold hearings over bills in committees and decide matters in the House and Senate Chambers. To look up and/or track legislation that interests you, please visit http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Home.aspx. You are able to look up legislation by word, phrase, or bill number in the top-middle section of this page. The left of the page has several links that will connect you to the Texas House of Representatives homepage (http://www.house.state.tx.us/) and to the Texas Senate homepage (http://www.senate.texas.gov/).
To receive alerts of bills that interest you, please visit http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/MyTLO/Login/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fMyTLO%2fAlerts%2fBills.aspx. You can create a free account by clicking on “New User” underneath the password box. Once you’ve created your login, you will see a line full of empty boxes. Under “bill”, you type in the bill number and leave the next box as “any category”. This will send you alerts each time the bill moves through the legislative process. You can also add notes. Finally, select “Add Bill”.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this week’s article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. Please always feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or issues regarding a Texas state agency, or if you would like to contact my office regarding constituent services. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces County (Part). He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.texas.gov or at 512-463-0672