LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – On Veterans Day, as Michigan honors the men and women who served their country, a new national report suggests the state has some work to do when it comes to supporting veterans and military families.
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released its 2026 Serving Those Who Serve report, ranking Michigan 47th out of 50 states, with just 24 points out of a possible 100.
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As their Facebook post states, the new report, by ALEC Veterans & Military Affairs Task Force Director Zachary Federico “evaluates how states support veterans, servicemembers and military families through state-level policy and what states can do to improve.”
Where Michigan Falls Short
The report evaluates states on policies involving supporting military families, veterans transitioning to civilian life, veterans involved in the justice system, and emerging mental health treatments.
Michigan received zero points in several categories, including school-transition policies for military children, Purple Star School programs and state licensing exemptions for military-certified childcare providers.
A Purple Star School is a state-recognized school that has demonstrated a commitment to helping children of military families succeed academically and socially, particularly when dealing with deployments, relocations, and transitions between schools.
The state also received no points for policies supporting emerging treatments for service-related mental health conditions.
Some Bright Spots for Veterans
Michigan earned seven out of ten points for public-private partnerships supporting veterans, six points for Veterans Treatment Courts, and five points for recognizing military experience toward civilian occupational licensing. However, those efforts weren’t enough to keep Michigan out of the bottom five. Texas topped the rankings, followed by Florida and Arizona. Only South Dakota, Hawaii and New York ranked below Michigan.
Honoring Veterans Means More Than Ceremonies
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As Michigan observes Veterans Day, the report raises a question for state lawmakers: Is thanking veterans for their service enough when policies intended to support them still have significant gaps?
