Tennant seeking to assist veterans

Oct. 20--PRINCETON -- Former Secretary of State Natalie Tennant said Monday she wants to expand a program to help veterans start businesses she started five years ago to include spouses of veterans.

Tennant presented her plan at the Memorial Building and War Museum in Princeton Monday afternoon, saying she wants to enhance the Veterans Business Waiver program that she created when she was Secretary of State, an office she is once again running for after losing to current Sec. of State Mac Warner four years ago.

The waiver allows veterans to start a business and not be required to pay the startup fee or the annual report fee for the first four years the business operates.

"It is a potential savings of more than $200," she said. "But if you are struggling to start a business, $200 is a lot of money."

Tennant said unemployment is high among veterans' spouses.

"It is not acceptable that so many of our military spouses have difficulty in finding work," she said. "They are the support system and the unseen backbone of our military. If a military family has difficulties making ends meet or has barriers to employment, then the readiness of our military is also in jeopardy."

Tennant said she knows what it's like to be a military spouse because "I have been one for 19 years."

In its first year of existence, the bipartisan program was used by more than 450 veterans, and hundreds more have taken advantage of it since then, she added.

"I knew veterans had skills they learned in the military that could translate to their own small businesses," she said. "Now it's time to help the military spouses."

Tennant said military spouses would be verified through the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System.

During her time as Secretary of State, Tennant implemented many military services like Electronic Ballot Delivery, Late Voter Registration for military members and the Vote in Honor of a Vet Program.

Tennant is on the campaign trail, running against Warner to try to unseat her opponent and return to her previous state office.

­-- Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com

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