Governor hopefuls woo veterans

Taxes on benefits, tuition services discussed at meeting

Democratic, Republican and Libertarian candidates for governor pledged Friday to work with the Arkansas Veterans Coalition to try to implement its legislative agenda.

The veterans coalition wants the 2015 Legislature to exempt military-retirement benefits from the state’s income tax, establish statewide access to veterans’ treatment courts, fund the opening and operation of veterans homes as needed, and eliminate residency requirements to ensure local and in-state tuition for service members, veterans and their families at the state’s two- and four-year colleges, said the coalition’s president, Scott Bramlett of Clinton.

The nonpartisan coalition represents more than 240,000 veterans and their families in Arkansas, said Will Beams of Hot Springs, chairman of the coalition’s veterans committee.

The first $6,000 of Arkansans’ public and private employer-sponsored retirement benefits, including military retirement benefits, is exempt from the state income tax each year, according to the state Department of Finance and Administration. Exempting military retirement benefits would reduce state tax revenue by about $17million a year, the department estimates.

Speaking before several dozen people at a coalition meeting in Sherwood, Republican gubernatorial candidate Curtis Coleman said he proposed exempting military pay from the state income tax several months ago, adding that Arkansas is one of 15 states that requires the payment of state income tax on military retirement benefits.

Coleman said he also wants to give a tax credit to employers who hire recent military retirees to cover their salaries for as long as they work for these businesses.

He also supports expanding veterans treatment courts in Arkansas. The courts try to address veterans’ problems and get them help instead of incarcerating them, he said.

Republican candidate Asa Hutchinson of Rogers promised to urge employers to hire more veterans. He said hiring preferences already exist for veterans,and he’s not sure there is a need for “a whole lot more.”

Hutchinson, an attorney who is the former 3rd District congressman and federal homeland security undersecretary, said the state must complete work on a proposed veterans home in North Little Rock, and he wants to speed up the project.

A large share of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville’s incoming freshmen are from Texas because of out-of-state tuition waivers, he said, and “if we can give that to Texas, we should give it to veterans.”

Hutchinson said his nephew, Sen. Jim Hendren, R-Sulphur Springs, sponsored legislation in 2013 that was enacted into law exempting active military from the state’s income tax, and that’s “a great first step.”

He said he’ll review the legislation to exempt military pay from the state’s income tax, particularly because “it’s a revenue generator for the state for economic development.”

As governor, Hutchinson said he’ll work together with the coalition “as a team.”

Democratic candidate Mike Ross of Little Rock said he’ll appoint more veterans to the state’s 350-plus state boards and commissions.

Ross, a former 4th District congressman and state senator,said he wants to push legislation to make Arkansas a more friendly state to veterans, including preferences for veteran-owned businesses to do work with the state and promote the hiring of veterans in state government.

He said he favors more initiatives to improve veterans’ physical and mental health care.

Ross said he’ll work with the coalition “to remove the tax on the military retiree pay in a fiscally responsible way” and work for in-state tuition for service members, veterans and families.

He also said one of his first actions as governor will be to sign an executive order for the state to develop a strategic plan for veterans and streamline veterans’ programs.

Instead of speaking directly about the coalition’s legislative agenda, Democratic candidate Lynette Bryant of Little Rock criticized party leaders and Gov. Mike Beebe for supporting Ross’ candidacy instead of remaining neutral prior to the primary.

Bryant, a substitute teacher, said she was raised on a U.S. Army base. Her father was a mechanic, and she told the audience, “I am standing for you because you are my family.”

Libertarian candidate Frank Gilbert, who is a DeKalb constable, said he supports all four of the group’s proposals.

Arkansas, Pages 15 on 04/19/2014

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