Over on the Progressive Electorate we covered the video when Al Franken talked to some concerned teabaggers at the Minnesota State Fair. I just found the next part of that video, and it's where Al Franken speaks passionately about the first bill he proposed in the Senate.
This was a very touching moment, and it touched off an amazing Minnesota State Fair for the newly elected Senator. He also drew a map of the United States from memory.
Senator Franken's bill is the S.1495 Service Dogs For Veterans Act. It was introduced on 7/22/09 and referred to the Committee on Veterans Affairs.
According to jimstaro
The bill was incorporated into the Defense Authorization bill for fiscal year 2010 and passed as part of the larger bill............
Congrats to Senator Al Franken for his first bill sponsored and passed! And what a worthy cause..
Franken wrote an op-ed back in July about the chance encountered that was the impetus for this bill.
This January, I met Luis Carlos Montalvan and his service dog named Tuesday, a beautiful golden retriever, at an inaugural event in Washington.
Luis had been an intelligence officer in Iraq, rooting out corruption in Anbar Province. In 2005, Capt. Montalvan was the target of an assassination attempt. Now he walks with a cane and suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder.
Luis explained that he couldn't have made it to the inauguration if it weren't for his dog.
UPDATE: Thanks for the reclist. Not my first time but it's been a while. I want to use this space to say thank you and God Bless to all our men and women in uniform.
Also I need to include this link to Ariana's cure. It's a fundraising site to raise money for a rare disease called Morquio. I met the parents of four year old Ariana yesterday at a Reggae benefit show. I can't imagine what it's like to have a sick child, they are strong people but they could use your support to find a cure.
UPDATE 2: MUCH more on this legislation, service dogs and Senator Franken by Schoolpsyc
