A proposal to give veterans preference in getting state government business has run aground in the senate. 

The proposal is intended for companies in which military veterans own the majority.  Companies bidding on state projects are rated on a points scale–and this bill would give veteran-owned companies five bonus points. The bill already has cleared the House 152-0.  But the senate is another story.

Farmington Senator Kevin Engler says the plan makes him and others who never served in the military into second=class citizens.  He finds agreement from Senator Tim Green of Spanish Lake, who says the bonus point system puts other citizens at a competitive disadvantage. .

Another Senator says he’s tired of laws that give this group or that group preferences in getting contracts or state services. 

The opposition from Green and Engler has shoved the bill to the sidelines.  Its future is uncertain with only two weeks left in the legislative session.