Hall promotes veterans bill at Southaven luncheon
State Rep. Rodney Hall (R-Southaven) speaks at the Southaven Veterans Day luncheon. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Nov. 11, 2024 – State Rep. Rodney Hall (R-Southaven) was the special speaker at Monday’s Southaven Veterans Day lunch at the City Safe Room next to the Arena at Southaven.
Hall had returned to the United States after serving Army deployment in Europe for the past six months. Hall’s background includes a nearly two-decade-long military career, including service as an Army Infantry Officer in the Mississippi Army National Guard, and he comes from a family with deep military roots.
Hall’s return to his family came during the Ole Miss-Georgia football game on Saturday in Oxford.
Monday, Hall told veterans, their families and their supporters, about his plans to introduce a bill in the state Legislature this session to support veterans in tax relief, family, and in support of their mental health.
Hall calls the bill the “Thank You For Your Service” bill, referring to the common phrase of thanks given to servicemen and veterans.
“Every time a neighbor says it, a child, a friend, it still resonates with me,” Hall said. “Thank you for your service should mean more than just words. It is time for this state to express this gratitude in real, tangible ways.”
Hall said the legislature is working hard to eliminate the income tax in Mississippi, but pointed out the state has the highest grocery tax of any in the nation. Hall said his bill would ease the tax burden, “to take care of their family without the burden of trying to make ends meet,” Hall said. “We need to make sure that we’re doing our part so we can continue to create pathways so they can be educated and continue to give to the fight.”
To do that, Hall said his bill would allow children of service members to be able to attend any state school at no cost to them.
In describing the third point in his bill, Hall recollected experiences of have three fellow servicemembers die of suicide, including a friend and a mentor to him during the past week.
“This bill would focus on one of the most important parts that we have in the state of Mississippi,” Hall said. “The toll is so great, so this bill would establish a veterans’ mental health task force. Every veteran deserves to live in peace with a clear goal of eliminating veteran suicide in Mississippi.”
Hall calls the bill proposal his faith promise to honor veterans’ service in real action.
“I am inspired every day by your sacrifices,” Hall told veterans. “I’m inspired by your resilience and what you have given to the state of Mississippi. It is my commitment to you that this state will stand up for you as you have stood up for us.”
Monday’s luncheon included special music by Brandy Barrett and Steven Hodge of Longview Point Baptist Church in Hernando, a musical recognition of the military branches of the armed services, as well as a video presentation and door prizes.
