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Rep. Bob Dettmer
Guest Columnist
Veterans Day reminds
everyone of the sacrifice our real American hero’s give every day. Many
of us took a portion of our day to attend ceremonies held around the
area on Nov. 11 and to say thank you to those who have served in the
military.
Recently, Gov. Pawlenty announced a list of initiatives for veterans as a way for the state to say thank you.
These
initiatives, 35 in total, take Minnesota a step closer in giving back
to those who give their all. As a member of the Veterans Affairs
Committee, I look forward to supporting our governor by passing these
initiatives into law in the upcoming legislative session.
I’d also like to highlight some of the initiatives I feel will benefit our veterans the most.
The
first initiative is the full exemption from state income tax of
military salary and pension. This will greatly benefit our veterans as
well as help Minnesota’s recruitment rates. It would also encourage
members of the military to stay in Minnesota, retire, and start new
careers in our great state.
Minnesota’s tax law previously
provided for military pension exclusion for veterans of up to $11,000.
This exclusion was repealed in 1987. Forty-two other states currently
have some degree of tax exemption for military pensions. The exemption
would be phased in over a four year period.
When it is fully implemented, in 2012, it would save veterans an estimated $25 million a year.
Another
great program is the State Soldier Assistance Program. This program,
while already in place, will receive more funding as part of the
governor’s initiative.
The Soldier Assistance Program is
essential for our veterans as they come home from the battle field.
Many veterans struggle in the reintegration process from soldier back
to civilian life. This program provides financial assistance, among
other things, to these soldiers during this trying time.
Many of
us have seen, and some may have, the Support Our Troops license plate
during our daily commute. The fund from the sale of these license
plates supports many great services for our veterans and their families.
Currently
under state law only $338,000 from the proceeds can be spent annually.
The governor has proposed removing that limit, so the funds can be
spent as needed for these programs.
Veterans and their families
are not the only ones affected by their long-term deployment overseas.
Their employers are also affected, as the great work these veterans are
doing in their civilian jobs still needs to be completed.
Under
the governor’s proposal, funds from the unemployment insurance pool
would be redistributed to businesses that employ deployed soldiers, in
order to pay unemployment insurance costs for the soldiers’ long-term
replacements.
These are just a few of Gov. Pawlenty’s
initiatives that I look forward to supporting in 2008. If you are
interested in reading more about the proposal and seeing a full list of
the initiatives please visit the Minnesota Department of Veterans
Affairs website at HYPERLINK “http://www.mdva.state.mn.us”
www.mdva.state.mn.us or by calling them at 651-296-2562.
Rep.
Dettmer serves House District 52A which includes the Forest Lake,
Scandia, Columbus and Linwood areas. He lives in Forest Lake.
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