Adjutant General, veterans oppose proposed Executive Council veto over National Guard deployments

Representative Howard presented CACR 26, a constitutional amendment that would allow the Executive Council to hold a vote to withhold approval of National Guard deployments in specified instances. The sponsor described the proposal as a narrow check to prevent "unnecessary out of state deployments" and to ensure that deployments receive broader elected‑leadership consensus.

Major General David Michalaitis, the Adjutant General and commissioner of the Department of Military Affairs and Veteran Services, testified in strong opposition. He argued the amendment would politicize command of the Guard and undermine "unity of command," saying such a change risks delaying emergency response. "This is really bad... it's all about politics and it's about executive council overreach," Michalaitis said.

Veterans representatives echoed the opposition. Kevin Grady, representing the State Veterans Advisory Committee, said the measure's language was unclear about whether each activation would require prior Executive Council approval and warned of federal preemption complications when National Guard forces are federalized under Title 10.

Committee members asked about interstate compacts, emergency mutual aid (EMAC), and whether the Executive Council could impose blanket prohibitions; witnesses warned that federal activation cannot be constrained by state action and that delays would harm response time. The committee closed the hearing after receiving testimony from military and veterans groups.