Veteran preference bill advanced

By Christine Scalora and Joseph Moore, Nebraska News Service

LINCOLN - Disabled veterans would get a preference on state contracts under a bill state senators advanced Thursday.

Sen. Charlie Janssen of Fremont introduced the bill. As amended, it would give resident disabled veterans a preference for bids on state contracts, if all other factors were equal.

Helping Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans establish their own businesses is one of the best ways to reduce the unacceptably high unemployment rate of that group, Janssen said. The 2011 unemployment rate was 11 percent in Nebraska, he said, c...