TRENTON, N.J. – During a session of the Assembly Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, veterans voiced strong opposition to a bill proposing contract preferences for businesses owned by female veterans. Assemblyman Brian Bergen, a U.S. Army veteran and West Point alumnus, emphasized the legislation’s potential to hinder the principle that ‘a vet is a vet’ in a statement coinciding with a recently published op-ed.
The bill (A870) aims to give female veteran business owners a competitive edge in state government contract bidding, allowing their bids to be 10% higher than the lowest bid and still be considered. This preference has sparked controversy among the veteran community, including the state’s Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and its former Commander, Barbara Kim-Hagemann.
Kim-Hagemann, the first woman to serve as the state’s VFW commander, shared her experiences and stressed the importance of unity in the veterans’ community, regardless of gender. She highlighted her challenges as a woman in the military and veteran advocacy.
Bergen criticized the lack of a disparity study to justify the need for such legislation. He noted unanimous opposition among female veterans he consulted, including Commander Hagemann. In his committee testimony, Bergen distributed copies of Lisa Jaster’s book “Delete the Adjective: A Soldier’s Adventures in Ranger School,” which details her struggle to defy labels and become one of the first women to graduate from the U.S. Army Ranger program.
Jeremy Baratta, representing J Baratta Industries, a disabled veteran-owned business, also testified against the bill, pointing out its technical flaws.
Despite these objections, the committee decided to advance the legislation.
