LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan House of Representatives on Thursday approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Rick Outman to annually declare Feb. 1 as Blue Star Mothers Day in Michigan.
Currently, an annual resolution is sponsored by a member of the Legislature to recognize Blue Star Mothers of America and the work the organization does on behalf of service members and their families. Outman’s legislation would eliminate the need for an annual resolution and would solidify Feb. 1 of every year as Blue Star Mothers Day in the state of Michigan.
“The care and dedication that Blue Star Mothers of America provide is well worth this annual recognition and something I think people should be reminded of every year,” said Outman, R-Six Lakes, who has taken the lead on sponsoring the Blue Star Mothers Day resolution in the Senate for a number of years.
Blue Star Mothers of America is made up of mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, foster mothers and female legal guardians who have a family member serving in the military or children who are veterans. The organization supports troops, honors U.S. veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice, visits injured service members in the hospital, and helps care for and provide support to families who have lost a loved one, among many other things that help those who served our nation and their families.
The organization was originally founded in Flint in 1942 and has grown to over 200 chapters from all over the nation.
“We’re just waiting for this bill to get to the governor’s desk as the final hurdle,” Outman said. “The resolutions always received bipartisan support, and I was happy to see my colleagues from both sides of the aisle get behind this legislation. The goal is to bring more attention to the selfless dedication of Blue Star Mothers and, in turn, begin a domino effect that draws more people to the organization and increases resources available for service members or families of service members in need.”
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