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Home My WebLink AboutRESOLUTION NO. 03-04-08-2 RESOLUTION 0, 09 SERVICE MEMBER SUPPORTAGENDA WHEREAS,more than 2,00�O Iowans in the Iowa National Guard,the Reserve and on active duty have been called to duty in Iraq and for Homeland Security; and, WHEREAS,these Iowans are disrupting their lives and families to serve their country; and, WHEREAS, the "Service Members Support Agenda's is a collection of common sense suggestions developed in consultation with Iowa service members that the state of Iowa can do to help ease the stresses they and their families face. These are no-cost and love-cost steps that include delayed filing of taxes, tuition rebates for students forced to leave classes for the military, allowing service members to deduct military expenses,and the elimination of state taxes on death benefits;and, WHEREAS, in a month the Iowa Legislature is scheduled to finish its session and none of these messages have passed the Legislature; and, BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED, that the City of Fairfax urge the Iowa Legislature make supporting Iowans called to duty a top priority and consider these measures on the floor of the Iowa House and Senate as soon as possible and take action before the end of the session. Passed and approved this day of (i AYE s" E _�td YY1 a{�L` (tL'��I 1jCca NAY ABSENT } Bill Voss,Mayor AT'T'EST: Mars Paa, ity Clerk March 25, 2003 Dear Iowa City Councils and Hoards of Supervisors I'm writing to ask for your help in supporting the Iowans called to duty during the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq. My name is Steve Warnstadt and I'm a State Senator from Sioux City. My senate district has the second largest concentration of Guard and Reserve members in the state. I am also a Gulf War veteran. I'm sure you are aware ofsome of the stresses Iowa families experience when a loved one is called to serve. After all.,they are your constituents and often your employees. Working with other legislators in Iowa and elsewhere, I have developed a ten-point "Service Member Support Agenda." These commonsense measures include delayed filing o taxes,helping Iowans called to service deal with leases,tuition rebates for students forced to leave classes for the military, allowing service members to deduct military expenses, and the elimination of state taxes on death benefits. Please consider passing a resolution supporting this agenda at your next city council or Hoard of Supervisors meeting. These low- cost and no- cost measures would make a real difference for Iowa families in difficult times. You can find the details at www.iowasenatedemocrats.org. If we can get a vote on these measures, I am confident that they will pass. Time is running out because the legislative session is scheduled to end in a month. If you decide to pass a resolution,please send me a copy. I will use your support to convince the Legislature's leadership to bring these bills to the floor. Sincerely, Senator Steve Warnstadt steve.warnstadt@legis.state.ia.us Senate: (515) 281-3371 Home: (712) 258-3705 Service Member Support agenda Senator Steve Warnstadt, 515-281-3371 steve.warnstadt Otegis.state,ia.us (Updated:March 25, 2003) 90 day lease termination if activated A service member who signs a lease and then receives reassignment or deployment orders for a duty of 90 days or more can terminate the lease by written notice. {Senate File 323, amended to Senate file 359G Death gratuity exemption Beneficiaries of a service member killed in action receive a$6y000 death gratuity,the first $3,000 tax free.This would exempt total amount from state taxes.This was agreed to at federal level last year but not implemented. (Senate File 246)(Ways and Means) Delayed filing of taxes Present law allows those deployed to combat zone an180-day extension on filing their state taxes. This will would extend that delay to those activated for homeland security who may be deployed to non-combat zone. (Senate file 264)(Ways and Means) Deduction of all military expenses Servicemembers are currently eligible to take military expenses as deduction if the total is over 2%of their gross income. This bill would allow service members to deduct all of their military expenses. (Senate File 284) (Ways and Means) Iowa Military Relief Fund This state tax check off would fund emergency financial grants to the families of Iowa reservists and members of the Guard. (To be filed) Counseling The state would provide three counseling sessions or a$150 voucher for the families of servicemembers who are activated. (Senate File 294)(Stopped in Human Resources Committee by legislative funnel,may be added as amendment.) Exempt military student loan repayment from taxes The military services sometimes send a servicemember to college and/or provide student loan repayment. This idea would exempt the loan repayment from state taxes. (Senate File 264) Fully fund National Guard Education Assistance Program A projected shortfall may mean hundreds of Iowa National Guard members may not receive promised educational benefits. (To be offered as amendment:to education budget.) No waiting period to regain insurance coverage College students on family health insurance plans who are activated are usually dropped from their family's insurance coverage, as they are under military plan.When they come off active duty,their military insurance ends and they are sometimes ineligible or have delays in getting back on the family plan. (Senate File 320) (Stopped in Commerce Committee by legislative funnel,may be added as amendment.) Total reimbursement of college tuition if activated Would allow for 100%tuition reimbursement of college tuition for classes interrupted when a student is activated. (To be offered as amendment to education budget.)