heighten student and family awareness of Hazlewood, boosting enrollment in universities and colleges.

In 2009, the Legislature passed the Legacy portion of the Hazlewood Act, which allows veterans who do not use any or all of their Hazlewood benefits to pass them along to their children.

In the 2011-12 school year, public universities absorbed about $58 million in tuition given to veterans and their families by the benefit. University officials have repeatedly stated they fully back veterans, but are in need of more state support to finance Hazlewood.

State government trouble-shooter Jay Kimbrough, a friend of Gov. Rick Perry

It’s a new month. So somewhere in state government, Jay Kimbrough must be moving into new digs, right?

Right.

This week, Kimbrough started working on veterans’ issues at the state Health and Human Services Commission,Justice.

He’s worked at Texas A&M, Perry’s alma mater, working on lab-safety problems in biodefense research. He’s served at Perry’s pleasure as reformer of the troubled Texas Youth Commission. Before that, he was a deputy attorney general, a staffer in the governor’s office, conservator of the Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse and executive director of the Commission on Private Security.

For Kimbrough, social services is largely a new bailiwick. Expect the crashing noises to commence shortly … if only when he revs up his Harley at commission headquarters in north-central Austin.

Former Rep. Suzanna Gratia Hupp, who represented part of the area around Fort Hood in the Texas House for 12 years, will lead a multi-agency effort to make sure members of the armed services receive needed social services after