▁Massachusetts , ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Republican ▁minor ity ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁Senate , ▁called ▁Brown ▁" the ▁acknowled ged ▁expert ▁on ▁veter ans ' ▁issues ." ▁State ▁Senator ▁Jack ▁Hart , ▁a ▁Dem ocrat ▁of ▁South ▁Boston , ▁said : ▁" He ▁does ▁his ▁home work , ▁he ' s ▁compreh ensive ▁in ▁his ▁approach , ▁and ▁on ▁veter ans ' ▁issues , ▁he ' s ▁one ▁of ▁them ▁and ▁has ▁done ▁a ▁very ▁good ▁job ▁on ▁their ▁beh alf ." ▁ ▁Brown ▁lists ▁among ▁his ▁achiev ements ▁as ▁a ▁legisl ator ▁his ▁author ship ▁of ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁law ▁that ▁created ▁a ▁check - off ▁box ▁on ▁state ▁income ▁tax ▁forms ▁for ▁veter ans ▁to ▁indicate ▁whether ▁they ▁served ▁in ▁Ira q ▁or ▁Afghan istan . ▁The ▁state ▁uses ▁the ▁information ▁to ▁notify ▁veter ans ▁of ▁available ▁services ▁and ▁benefits , ▁including ▁the ▁Welcome ▁Home ▁Bon us ▁that ▁provides ▁$ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁for ▁those ▁returning ▁from ▁active ▁duty ▁in ▁Afghan istan ▁or ▁Ira q . ▁ ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁election ▁ ▁On ▁September ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁( his ▁ 5 0 th ▁birth day ), ▁Brown ▁announced ▁his ▁run ▁for ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁seat ▁that ▁became ▁vac ant ▁with ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Ted ▁Kennedy , ▁saying ▁the ▁state ▁" ne eds ▁an ▁independent ▁think er ." ▁ ▁Washington ▁Post ▁column ist ▁Kath le en ▁Parker ▁said ▁that ▁Brown '