State Issues 

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• Exempt military retirement pay from income tax

• Expansion of HB60 (2018) allowing seniors to audit classes at state higher education institutions to include disabled veterans who are VA rated disabled 80% or higher and/or are individually rated as Individual Unemployability (and therefore cannot utilize the GI Bill)

• Concealed Carry Permits should require a range test of weapon proficiency prior to initial issue

• UTA must facilitate convenient and timely access to VA services - work with UDOT to create a bus pullout close to the VA hospital main building

• Veteran addiction and mental illness treatment access must be supported (with sufficient space in treatment facilities) and Veteran housing support (information & advocacy) & rapid rehousing for homeless Veterans must be supported

• During COVID-19 response, parking lot adjacent to VA campus, in partnership with UDMVA as a safe parking location for Veterans living in vehicles 

• In all cases dealing with firearm regulations, we firmly oppose the creation of any standing registry of firearm owners

• We support a Red Flag Law with due process protections (Rep Handy)

• We support a State Storage Law with appropriate exceptions (Rep Weight) (maintain support for locks and guns safes as Point of Sale)

• We support Universal background checks with family transfer exemptions (Rep King)

• We support Dangerous Weapon Custodian Liability accountability with appropriate burden of proof clause (Rep Stoddard 2020 HB 115 (2020) - needs work)

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Federal Issues
 

• We oppose the ban on transgender deployments (which lead to discharges)

• Marijuana needs to be transferred from a schedule I to a schedule V drug for research and regulation

• State-sanctioned medical marijuana use should not disqualify for VA benefits, rapid veteran rehousing, etc

• Increase funding for Veterans Health Care (VA FTE funding has been decreasing while needs are increasing)

• Veteran addiction and mental illness treatment access must be supported (with sufficient space in treatment facilities) and Veteran housing support (information & advocacy) & rapid rehousing for homeless Veterans must be supported

• Support passage of the Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act

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