March 11, 2014 Voice Your Opinions! Letters to the editor make a difference. You can send a 175-word letter to the Anchorage Daily News by e-mail (letters@adn.com); or by fax or mail (call them at 257-4308). Send letters to the Anchorage Press via e-mail editor@anchoragepress.com or by mail to 540 E. Fifth Ave, Anchorage, 99501. Feel free to call us if you need factual information to help you write a letter. Contact the Governor. The Governor can be reached at 269-7450; sean.parnell@alaska.gov; or www.alaska.gov. Contact us. My office can be reached at: 716 W. 4th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501; by phone: 269-0106; visit my website at http://gara.akdemocrats.org; or email: Rep.Les.Gara@akleg.gov

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

How many politicians have you seen, from presidential candidates on down, who’ll drape themselves in the American flag for a vote? I’m not one for lip services about bills that don’t do anything, or for political flag draping.

But I am one for things that make a difference, and think that’s true of many folks across the political spectrum when it comes to veterans.

Earlier this year I learned what I should have already known. Sixty to eighty percent of Vietnam Veterans with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suffer from alcohol and substance abuse problems. Sixty to eighty percent of all soldiers who suffer blast injuries have traumatic brain injuries. Given the unspeakable experiences some soldiers suffer while defending us in combat, it is no surprise many come home with mental and emotional demons that cause them to act out, sometimes criminally. It’s something too few people understand.

Today we’ll present our bill, House Bill 313, to show compassion for those who prove lower level, non-violent crimes they commit are the result of combat-related PTSD or traumatic brain injuries. Under Alaska law, a judge sentencing a person convicted of a felony is allowed to consider something called a “mitigating factor” to reduce a sentence. House Bill 313 would create a new mitigating factor that allows a judge to consider whether the offender’s conduct was related to combat-related PTSD or traumatic brain injury. The burden is on the offender, who must prove he or she suffers from combat-related PTSD or traumatic brain injury resulting from combat while on active duty as a member of the armed forces. Ric Davidge, who runs the Alaska Veterans Foundation, and Cindy Strout, who has worked with veterans, are helping us on this bill.

The truth is that combat-related PTSD and substance abuse go hand in hand. Many former soldiers who commit offenses after serving overseas had no prior criminal record and no substance abuse problems prior to their service. But returning soldiers unfortunately sometimes self-medicate. Jail conditions only make the symptoms of PTSD worse. By allowing an offender to prove his or criminal conduct was related to PTSD or traumatic brain injury the judge has the flexibility to fashion a sentence that requires specific treatment or rehabilitation for the specific condition instead of mandating strict jail time that often exacerbates the veteran’s injury.

As always, call if you need help, or have any questions.

My Best,