Gazelka, Kresha seek military pension tax exemption
State Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-Cass County, and Rep. Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, will work together on legislation that would exempt military pension recipients from that portion of their income taxes.
The bill was introduced Monday in the Senate by Gazelka — his first bill in the 88th Legislative Session.
Senate File 32 is a bill to exempt military pension recipients from income taxes. The bill is expected to be heard next week in the Senate Tax Reform Division, a committee on which Sen. Gazelka serves.
Kresha, in his first term, will sign on to an existing bill in the House. The House District 9B representative said the bill would ensure that Minnesota continues to be a veteran-friendly retirement state.
Gazelka and Kresha said they had not yet seen financial statements that would indicate how much the exemption might cost the state.
“Military folks can retire wherever they want and they do evaluate whether it makes sense to retire somewhere else,” Gazelka said.
In a news release issued by Gazelka, he said SF 32 has gained bipartisan support and is expected to reach the Senate floor for a full vote.
“Military service members are a distinct asset to our community and deserving of this legislation,” Gazelka said in the statement. “The time has come to move this legislation forward on behalf of retired veterans across Minnesota. It is a good bill, it helps our veterans and it will help to keep Minnesota’s economy competitive by attracting more retirees to move in or stay in Minnesota.”
With the passage of this legislation, Minnesota could join 31 other states offering tax exemptions for all or part of residents’ military retired pay from state income taxes, according to Gazelka’s statement.
“Our military is an all-volunteer force,” Gazelka said in the statement. “If we wish to maintain this volunteer force we must care for those Americans who choose to sacrifice and risk their lives to protect what we hold dear.”
Comments (35)
Add commentMany Minnesotans would be happy to receive even
one pension when they retire, never mind one that's tax free. Do MN teachers pay state tax on their pensions? I think they do (but please check me on that). I don't dispute that retired military folks can be an asset to our communities, just like retired folks from many other professions. Some retired military folks (who retired young) are also working a second career. At a time when our State is still struggling with paying bills, it seems overly generous to offer this.
I understand why these Gazelka and Kresha are doing this, given the visibility of Camp Ripley in their districts, but even this can be somewhat construed as "pork". And one can almost see the negative campaign ads for next election cycle for anyone who "votes against retired veterans".
Additionally, the cost of Tricare military medical benefits is also quite a good plan: "The Defense Department hasn’t raised enrollment fees for Tricare Prime, an HMO-like coverage plan, since its creation in 1995, despite skyrocketing nationwide health care costs. Enrollment fees for the program remain at $38 a month or $460 a year for family coverage for military retirees, and $19 a month or $230 a year for an individual retiree." (http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2011/02/pdf/tr...)
Pension plans for all variety of "gov't employees" are on the chopping block these days. Let's not do this now, while our economy is still struggling. Rather, let's keep our promises to disabled returning vets from Iraq and Afghanistan (who seem to be waiting for care, in many cases), and save these additional retiree perks for another day.
Military assessment, 1/17/13 news, WE CAN'T AFFORD
THIS:
"Nation can't afford military's generous retirement system"
"The United States can’t sustain the pay, allowances, retirement and health benefits that the all-volunteer military force and their families enjoy, according to a study by the Defense Department’s Reserve Forces Policy Board."
"Under today’s system, military personnel who retire after 20 years of service receive at least 50 percent of their salaries for the rest of their lives, indexed for inflation. Another 2 percent is added for every service year over 20. They also get lifetime health insurance under Tricare, the military’s HMO-style plan whose current annual fee for families is $520.
“The military (active duty) retirement system is arguably the best retirement deal around. Unlike most retirement plans, the Armed Forces offer a pension (technically a “reduced compensation for reduced services) with benefits that start the day you retire, no matter how old you are,” according to Military.com.
Punaro adds these facts:
Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2013/01/17/2438621/nation-cant-afford-mili...
But we can???? Afford
100% retirement for Congressmen?
Nolan just added $113K per year to his retirement by being sworn in.
There is NO state income tax payable on military retirement pay
In many of the states in this country.
I believe MN is in the minority of states that continue to tax it.
This change has been proposed several times in the recent past , and nothing has happened.
There were many different variations depending upon if you were , National Guard( state) , Reserve (fed) , or an active duty retiree.
"Additionally, the cost of
"Additionally, the cost of Tricare military medical benefits is also quite a good plan:"
Except servicemen were promised free healthcare in retirement, that changed under Bill Clinton.
"Nation can't afford military's generous retirement system"
Then you'd better bring back the draft. Given the sacrifices made the current package is the bare essential required to convince someone to freely join and serve.
Draft
Yes, the draft was a better system. At least, you had a chance to get some brighter people in the military. The present Mercenary force we presently have is largely made up of people that can't find employment and get paid to be heroes.
Once more FNB gets on his high horse
About our new Rep's retirement pay.
He is like a broken record.
BTW, Rick is trying to get Congress to actually work for their salaries.
And you don't get retirement until you actually are out of Congress, do you?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/socialsecurity/pensions.asp
Once again southie speaks before
she comprehends.
"Nolan just added $113K per year to his retirement by being sworn in." is what I said. R E A D S L O W L Y, "ADDED"
Sacre bleu!
Why don't you pay attention to what Rick Nolan has to say instead of his pay.
I had to edit
a bit though, so I must eat some crow also.If your link is correct I was wrong about the amount. The point of my comment was though that Nolan will collect a FAR Larger Federal retirement than he would have without this term.
For being wrong on the dollar amount I apologise.
"Nation can't afford military's generous retirement system"
is the conclusion of Dept. of Defense study.
And what is your point?
Or do you just resent Nolan beating the Chipster?
Move on...
You apologise
like every other lying Lefter.
I copied your apology off
before you edited it. Crooked politicians could learn from you some new cover-up tactics!
I'll have to copy all of your gaffs.
Sacre bleu! new
An edit was in order.
Thanks Herr FNB
I'll put this over the fireplace.
Also, southie, I thought you lefter's always say connecting or using the Nazi word means you lost? Nice little "Herr" you put in there. Get back to your tolerance class now!
You got a big crush on me?
Eeeewwww.
Purposed: Oh my goodness, the stars must be aligned
in a most peculiar way, because I'm also agreeing with you!!
I concur that the draft is a good idea, and especially think it affords a nice opportunity for the sons and daughters of America's wealthy to experience a different path. It might result in fewer "chicken hawks" making decisions for other peoples' kids to go to war while theirs are safely tucked away in grad. school or daddy's business.
As for Gazelka's and Kresha's proposal, it also strikes me as a bit hypocritical, only a year after much was made of MN public employee pensions. All of the pensions have gotten out of hand. I'd rather spend our limited resources keeping our promise to care for wounded/disabled vets (who are waiting way too long for care in many cases).
A draft? Really?
That's a pretty ignorant statement about soldiers, Vranish. I'm an electrical engineer, and my husband with his 20 years in has more college and school credits than I do.
The days of teaching a man to just shoot a rifle and throw a grenade are long passed. The technological jobs and skills required to be a member of today's military take years to master. A conscription draft has a term of no longer than 18 months (per the constitution), the time it would take to train a man in even something as simple as an 88Mike (truck driver) or an 11Bravo (basic infantry) MOS would cost billions of dollars, and be a waste of time.. By the time the man finished BCT and AIT training, he'd get MAYBE 6 months of work in before his 18 month term was up.
By that time, you have a military that has invested a hundred thousand+ dollars in a soldier's salary, housing, sustenance, training, equipment, relocation expenses, medical/dental and clothing. Then the guy is done with his service, and leaves.
And consider if the soldier was going in as an officer, triple his expenses and pay..
Oh, man, then think about the cost of the backlog of appeals.
Points taken, Household 6.
I think our military are highly trained and skilled, as you point out. I also think that with less than 1% of Americans with any "skin in the game", we're out of touch with what's going on and the sacrifices being made by a few.
General McChrystal says it best:
"I think we ought to have a draft. I think if a nation goes to war, it shouldn't solely be represented by a professional force, because it gets to be unrepresentative of the population," McChrystal said at a late-night event June 29 at the 2012 Aspen Ideas Festival. "I think if a nation goes to war, every town, every city needs to be at risk. You make that decision and everybody has skin in the game."
"He argued that the burdens of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan haven't been properly shared across the U.S. population, and emphasized that the U.S. military could train draftees so that there wouldn't be a loss of effectiveness in the war effort.
"I've enjoyed the benefits of a professional service, but I think we'd be better if we actually went to a draft these days," he said. "There would some loss of professionalism, but for the nation it would be a better course."
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/07/03/mcchrystal_time_to_br...
*pats Purposed on the head..
It's okay if you don't understand.. Sometimes my children like to argue with me just for sake of arguing too.
US code, title 10, subtitle E, part 2.
No one can be called up without orders, and to just draft people for the purpose of "making them a man" is against the law. Title 10 assures that no one (selected reserve, or AD, NG) can be called up during an emergency as defined by the President, for longer than 15 months with a train up of 3.. Three, plus 15 equals 18.. Drafting civilians would give them these things called "orders".. Orders are what we would get in the military when we would get a "new job"..
The only time a draft can be implemented is when there's a really big, bad war going on, Congress has to draw up a fancy paper called a "Declaration of War". There is no time limit on those orders, I believe that would be Title 10, subsection 12304 (off the top of my head, that could be inaccurate.. it could be 12306)..
I would like to first find
I would like to first find out how much this will cost our state, and then determine if we can afford it. Putting forth legislation before we know if it's even feasible is putting the cart before the horse in my opinion.
It's a nice idea. Let's gather some information and go from there.
OD,
all we have to do is cancel funding for the study of gay mud turtles and lay the professors (5) off that got the grant from Lefter Legislation! Then we can afford it.
household 6
It depends on what the definition of is - is. If your husband is such a wizzkid, what is he doing in the Military? You, are you part of this story? Your so educated, you forgot to mention your part in this. Perhaps you are just another big mouth women that pushes her wimp husband around.
bubba
if the nation can't afford it for military how does it afford super cheap health ins.,early retirement for people who only work around 7 to 8 months a year?????
Pickle
You may have misunderstood that I'm in favor of cutting benefits -- to any gov't. employee (military or teacher ...). I didn't say I wanted anyone's benefits cut. I agreed with the Defense Dept study that questioned whether these "generous" (their word) retirement benefits were sustainable. I just don't think it's the right time to improve this already nice pension benefit with the Gazelka and Kresha tax giveaway. Republicans frequently point out "pork" in other areas of government (specifically public employee pensions). Let's have a little consistency, and say "no" to this, too.
Throw a grenade
I think household6 has a good idea. What better way to protect are freedom and protect are selve's from Obummer and a tyrant govment takeover than to have weaponry? I would feel saifer knowing that they STOP this gun-free zone nonsense. I don't want to go to the mall, or church, or a restaurant without the comfort of knowing that others are armed too.
Why can't we have grenades? The second amendment gives us that right! Give a man a grenade, he protects his family for a day. Teach him to throw a grenade, he protects them for a life time!
SMTN
Aitkin
Military retirement
Do some Minnesotans flee the state to escape winter? Sure. They spend a month or two in Florida or Texas to enjoy some sunshine and then return to the state they love. Many however, stay away six months because Minnesota taxes their military retirement. If you research it, you will find that military retirement is not as much as you have heard and saving some of it is beneficial to those individuals as it would be to you. Wouldn't we all be better off if those retirees would come home and buy groceries and gas in our economy? I would rather have 100% of the money the state would realize by having these folks among us on a daily basis. They earned that retirement pay. Let's let them spend it on boats or pick ups in Minnesota.
>>If your husband is such a
>>If your husband is such a wizzkid, what is he doing in the Military?
Because that's where the best and brightest often go.
Great example of how far MN Republicans stray from their roots
During a recession--with all kinds of state government IOU's needing to be paid courtesy of past refusal to fix budget problems--republicans AGAIN want to do something that reduces money going into the state budget!
If there is ever a time for such proposals, it can't be during a recession with major budget issues! How can that possibly be considered a fiscally conservative action in any way shape or form?
And the timing is fantastic--introducing this after a sound trouncing in the polls due in large part to wasting time on frivilous legislation that does not attack any urgent issue and distracts time--time these PART TIME republican yahoo's need to pitch in to help fix our budget problems!
ENTITLEMENTS
I am so disappointed in the Repubs that I probably have just switched to the Dems. Not that I think the Dems are better, but that they are maybe not as hypocritical as the Repubs. Gazelka and Kresha are about as hypocritical as it gets. Just remember people as Repubs we MUST eliminate Entitlements. What is the definition of an entitlement? Oh, I forgot. It must be Social Security that Grandma and Grandpa worked all their lives for or Medicare under the same guise. It certainly can't be this extra perk for some fella that has been in the Minnesota National Guard all these years doing nothing but a monthly meeting and two weeks at camp for a bloated retirement package. What a surprise it was when they got called to active duty. Entitlements must not be Nolan's $113,000 add on or any other blood sucking government worker that most of us think are less than worthless.
Thank's SMTN
For the laugh. I will have to remember that quote. (Why can't we have grenade's) but I think I would use det-cord more for tree trimming. LOL