Update on DAV Goals and Accomplishments Shared by Last Year’s Annual Leo Luskey DAV Golf Tournament’s Guest Speaker (by Ken Plant, Military Veterans in Journalism/MN DAV Chapter 39 Webmaster)

Trent Dilks, MN DAV legislative director, was the guest speaker of last year’s Annual Leo Luskey DAV Golf Tournament.  Trent did an excellent job, sharing his topic, “The importance of setting goals in both our personal lives and careers.  His personal stories about health, well-being and scaling a winter mountain were well received by the tournament participants and MN DAV Chapter 39 volunteers.   Dilks went on to highlight the goals and success stories the Disabled American Veterans has made for veterans and their families in Anoka and surrounding counties as well as throughout the state. 

The legislative director updates us on the latest legislative news, “The session is in the wrapping up portion and we have much we can be happy with as we look towards the end.  The biggest accomplishment for the Veterans community, and for MN DAV, is the passage of HF 1937, the Veterans Omnibus Bill.  It had final passage last week in the House 131-0 and Senate 61-5. It awaits the Governor’s signature, which we can expect at any time. I will write more details later, but this is an historic level of support for our Veterans in the state of Minnesota.”

Dilks continues, “The Tax Committee is still working in their Conference Committee on the tax bill. There appears to be agreement on eliminating the 2-year application deadline, but in reviewing the latest offer sheets to be passed from the House and Senate are not budging on increasing the amount of the exclusion to $330,000 and $165,000. Either way it is not the amount we were looking for, but in a year where the Legislature seems to be looking to increase revenue, even a partial win may be huge. I have reached out to the members of the Conference Committee to make our stance clear.  It looks like there is some movement on an all cash, bonding but not bonding type bill to fund projects. The last word I had was that it would likely include the money necessary for replacing Hasting Veterans Home.”

“HF2887 is the Transportation Omnibus and in it is language that would exempt 100% T&P Veterans from fees for licenses, plates, and more. I will do more research into this for a comprehensive review after the dust settles.”

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