DAV: Virtual March to Stand Up for Veterans

DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS 

807 Maine Ave., SW • Washington, D.C. 20024 • Phone (202) 554-3501 • Fax (202) 863-0233

NE W S   R E L E A S E

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 25, 2011 

Virtual March to Stand Up for Veterans 

 WASHINGTON – The United States’ largest organization dedicated to advocating for our nation’s
disabled veterans and their families and survivors, the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is asking
Americans of all walks of life to join in the “Virtual March on Washington to Protect Veterans’
Compensation and Benefits” this Wednesday, July 27, on the social networking site Facebook.

 With thousands of virtual marchers already registered, veterans and their family members will be
encouraged by DAV to record and publicly post a personal video message, explaining what their
compensation and benefits mean to them. Non-veterans will be asked to create a video telling why they are
“standing up for veterans.” All marchers will also be provided an opportunity to email their elected officials
and to post on the congressional representatives’ and senators’ official Facebook pages as well as on the
White House’s official page.

 “As lawmakers and the White House haggle over how to deal with the national debt and federal
spending, the uncertainty over what actions our government might take is causing unnecessary and harmful
anxiety in the American public at large and veterans and their families, specifically,” said Barry A. Jesinoski,
executive director of the DAV’s Washington Headquarters. “With spending cuts on the table and the
possibility that the government may not be able to meet all its financial obligations in the near future, the
DAV is asking everyone to stand up and ‘virtually march on Washington.’”

 The virtual march will take place primarily on Facebook at http://facebook.com/The.DAV, but the tools
to participate will also be available at http://www.dav.org and on Twitter, using the hashtag #March4Vets.
 “This is not about Congress or the President – this is about veterans and their families and survivors,”
Jesinoski said. “We need to make it clear to the entire federal government and the American public that the
United States can never again turn its back on veterans. This is about standing up for veterans.”

 The virtual march formally begins at 8 a.m. July 27, but participants do not need to log on at any
specific time as the “march” will take place over the entire day and night. The event is online, so travel is not
required.

The 1.2 million-member Disabled American Veterans, a non-profit organization founded in 1920 and
chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932, represents this nation’s disabled veterans. It is dedicated to a single
purpose: building better lives for our nation’s disabled veterans and their families. More information is
available at www.dav.org.

Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay), Rep. Kevin Petersen (R-Waupaca) introduce Veterans Property Tax Credit Expansion Legislation

To:      Legislative Colleagues

From: Representative Kevin Petersen

Representative Petersen will be the Assembly lead on this bill.  It is identical to the Senate bill.  Unless otherwise requested, if you co-sponsor onto either bill, you will automatically be co-sponsored onto both bills.  Please call my office at 6-3794 by 5 pm on Monday, April 25th.

<<11-15411.pdf>>

_____________________________________________
TO:         Legislative Colleagues  
              
FROM:      Senator Dave Hansen

RE:        Co-sponsorship of LRB-1537/1, expanding the eligibility of the veterans and surviving spouses property tax credit

Deadline: Monday, April 25th

At the request of a constituent, I am introducing LRB-1537/1.  My constituent requested this legislation after she was unable to claim the property tax credit as a surviving spouse of a Vietnam veteran who died as a result of a service connected disability.

Her husband, although eligible for federal Dependency & Indemnity Compensation, was too sick to apply for the property tax credit before his death.

This legislation would expand the eligibility for the property tax credit to surviving, unremarried spouses of veterans who die from a service related disability and were eligible for federal Dependency & Indemnity Compensation.

If you would like to co-sponsor LRB-1537/1, please reply to this email by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 25th.

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Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, the veterans and surviving spouses property tax credit may be claimed by certain U.S. armed forces veterans and by the unremarried surviving spouses of certain veterans or members of the national guard or reserves (collectively, “veterans”). To be eligible to claim the credit, the veteran must meet several criteria, including having been a resident of this state at the time of entry into the service or having been a resident of this state for any consecutive five-year period after entry into that service, and having either a service-connected disability rating of at least 100 percent or a 100 percent disability rating based on individual unemployability.

Similarly, to be eligible to claim the credit as a spouse of a veteran, the veteran to whom the unremarried surviving spouse was married must have been, generally, a resident of this state at the time of entry into the service or a resident of this state for any consecutive five-year period after entry into that service, and must have had either a service-connected disability rating of at least 100 percent or a 100 percent disability rating based on individual unemployability.

In general, the credit may be currently claimed in an amount equal to the
property taxes paid by the claimant on the veteran’s principal dwelling in the year to which the claim relates. The credit is refundable. If the amount of the credit for which a claimant is eligible exceeds the claimant’s income tax liability, the excess amount of the credit is paid to the claimant by check.

This bill expands the definition of eligible unremarried surviving spouse to
include an individual who is eligible for, and receives, dependency and indemnity compensation from the federal government due to his or her spouse’s status as a veteran whose death was service-connected.

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LRB 11-1541/1 - Rep. Petersen/Sen. Hansen Veterans Property Tax Credit Expansion

Improvement of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Allowances Needed Take Action!

DAV National:  Please Contact Your Representative Today!

We have been working with both chambers of Congress to improve the Post 9/11 GI Bill, particularly in making a housing stipend available to Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) participants. As a result of our efforts, the U.S. Senate passed S. 3447, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010.

Disabled veterans need your help to get this legislation passed into law this year. DAV has testified in support of certain provisions of this bill. Resolutions adopted by our membership emphasize the need to provide veterans greater assistance under the VR&E program in Chapter 31 as contrasted to those participating in the post-9/11 educational assistance program under chapter 33. Section 205 of S. 3447 would allow veterans with service-connected disabilities that participate in a program of vocational rehabilitation under chapter 31 of title 38, United States Code, who are also entitled to Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits, to choose whether to receive the monthly housing stipend payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill or a monthly subsistence allowance.

DAV urges you to call on your Representative and request they take up the provisions of S. 3447 before Congress adjourns later this week, most likely on December 18. Please call your Representative or send a prepared e-mail today. Please emphasize the urgency of these provisions for disabled veterans.

As always, DAV thanks you for your advocacy on behalf of sick and disabled veterans.