Veterans Crowd State Capitol in Bid to Advance Key Initiatives
Scores of veterans and their advocates gathered at Legislative Hall today for the inaugural “We the Veterans Day.” State Representative Jeff Hilovsky (R-Long Neck, Oak Orchard), who is a US Air Force veteran and the event’s lead organizer said today’s activities are part of a larger effort to get veterans the attention they’ve earned. He adds that We the Veterans Day is a group effort of concerned legislators and veterans’ groups not only to thank all those who have served our country but to turn good intentions into tangible actions. Participants at the event are advocating for several critical issues, each aimed at improving the lives of veterans.
Additional Information from Legislative Hall:
“We owe a debt to the comparatively few men and women who have chosen to protect and serve our nation, and I think we have been a little remiss in addressing the needs of this community,” said State Rep. Jeff Hilovsky (R-Long Neck, Oak Orchard), a US Air Force veteran and the event’s lead organizer. “Today’s activities are part of a larger effort to get veterans the attention they’ve earned.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were an estimated 16.2 million veterans in the United States in 2022, representing 6.2% of the adult population. Approximately 70,000 veterans reside in Delaware, or about one out of every 14 residents. An additional 35,000 Delawareans are estimated to be dependents of a veteran.
“The House Veterans Committee has more members than any other committee,” Rep. Hilovsky said. “Twenty-five of the 41 state representatives are on it. But despite the apparent interest, it did not meet at all last year. We the Veterans Day is a group effort of concerned legislators and veterans’ groups to not only thank all those who have served our country but to turn good intentions into tangible actions.”
Participants at the event are advocating for several critical issues, each aimed at improving the lives of veterans:
- The creation of a cabinet-level Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Supporters believe that having such a position will better focus efforts to aid veterans and help Delaware take advantage of federal veterans’ funding that is unclaimed.
- Securing funding to increase the number of veterans service officers (VSOs) – troubleshooters that help veterans get the government benefits that they are due.
- House Bill 303: Current law allows school boards to provide a tax credit that eliminates the property tax liability for any veteran meeting a “100% disability” standard. This measure would reduce the disability standard to 80%.
- Senate Bill 201: Delawareans receiving military pensions are not required to pay state income tax on the first $12,500 of that revenue. This bill would double the amount of tax-excluded pension income to $25,000, phased in over three years.
- House Substitute 1 for House Bill 272 seeks to regulate entities that receive compensation for advising or assisting veterans in accessing their earned government benefits. The bill, which has drawn bipartisan support, is intended to protect veterans from being victims of bad actors.
“Today’s event grew out of shared interest by veterans’ groups and activists to act collectively and work cooperatively to elevate and advance the causes we all support,” Rep. Hilovsky said. “I see this as another important step in the process.”
VIDEO AVAILABLE AT: https://youtu.be/Q-XufGOsDyM
