(Host) The House has approved legislation that’s designed to create new job opportunities for members of the Vermont National Guard who recently returned from a year-long deployment in Afghanistan.
Montpelier Rep. Warren Kitzmiller is the chairman of the House Commerce committee. He told his colleagues that the measure is needed because as many as 30% of the 1500 Guard members who served in Afghanistan now find themselves out of work.
(Kitzmiller) "I suspect that most of you have heard the sad reality that many of those troops who have recently returned from deployment are suffering unemployment at a rate that is significantly above that of the rest of Vermont."
(Host) Kitzmiller says the bill offers a two thousand income tax credit to any business that hires a Guard member who has been unemployed for at least 90 days:
(Kitzmiller) "So this bill is seeking to address in a small way something that might help them gain employment and thereby show our appreciation for their efforts. The underlying method here is to offer a tax credit to employers who hire a recently deployed and now unemployed veteran."
(Host) The measure now goes to the Senate for its consideration. Senate leaders say they plan to vote on the bill in the near future.