*State Veterans Legislative Update 16 March 2017: SB 1248 Strike Everything Bill; ‘income tax subtraction: military retirement | MOAA CORONADO – MOAA 5 STAR LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE AWARD AND FIVE STAR COMMUNICATIONS AWARD FOR 2023

SB 1248 is a Strike Everything (S/E) Bill that now includes the text of Senator Gail Griffin’s SB 1444 that failed to get a scheduled hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee last month after receiving a 4-3-0-0 vote in the Senate Finance Committee. SB1248 S/E: ‘income tax subtraction: military retirement’ will increase the income tax exemption for Military Retirees from the current $2,500 to $12,500 in 2019, to $25,000 in 2020 and to full exemption beginning in 2022. This will be an incentive for military retirees to choose Arizona as the place to retire and begin their new careers. The Governor has said that he wants Arizona to be the Friendliest State in the Nation to the Military. This bill is a good Start! While this Bill addresses reducing and eventually eliminating state income tax for Military Retirees it will, in part, be replaced with sales tax on Homes and new cars and other daily purchases, property taxes on homes, etc. that they will spend their retirement and new career earnings on.

SB 1248 S/E is scheduled for a hearing in Monday, 20 March, at 1400 in the House office building, hearing room #3.

Please consider sending the draft message at the end of this Email to all Arizona State Representatives ASAP and encourage their support for SB 1248 S/E.

When you are ready to send the Message at the end of this text to all State Representatives: copy everything beginning with this paragraph and the instructions in the following paragraphs, the lists of Arizona House of Representatives Email addresses, and the Draft Message that is shown below the lists of Email addresses.

Then open a New Email on your computer as you usually do and paste what you just copied including these instructions as the text of that New Email. Then add your name at the ‘X’ after ‘Respectfully’ in your New Email. Don’t include your address as some legislators may delete your Email if they see the address is not in the area of their constituency. Then copy ” SB 1248 Strike Everything Bill : income tax subtraction: military retirement ” here and paste it as the subject of your New Email.

Then copy the list of Arizona House of Representatives Email addresses with Semi-colons: Email Addresses from the text of your new Email and paste it on the Bcc: line of your new Email. Be careful not to hit Send until after you complete the next step in this process!!!!!

Then delete everything before “Dear State Representative” in your New Message, and review what’s left to see that it just includes the Message that you want to send and you signature. Then you can hit SEND.

Arizona House of Representatives Email addresses with Semi-colons:

House of Representatives addresses with comas:

Draft Message

Dear State Representative,

As an Arizona Veteran, I urge you to Co-Sponsor and/or support Senator Gail Griffin’s SB 1248 Strike Everything Bill that will be a major step in achieving the Governor’s desire to make Arizona the most Military Friendly State in the Nation. It will increase the income tax exemption for Military retirees over the years and eventually eliminate all Military Retirement pay from taxation by the State of Arizona. This proposal will provide a financial incentive for middle-aged Military Retirees to retire in Arizona. These retirees have proven records, have diverse skills, are well-educated, and will be a huge asset to Arizona if we can help them decide to make this their home. And the cost to implement will be significantly offset by sales taxes on new homes, cars and other day to day spending, property taxes, etc. that they will spend their retirement and new career earnings on. Please join Senator Griffin in supporting and urging your colleagues to support SB 1248 S/E Bill ‘income tax subtraction: military retirement’ in forthcoming House hearings.

Respectfully,