By: Karen Christianson, Cook County Veterans Service Officer

For the past several years, Veterans Day on the Hill (VDOTH) has provided a means to demonstrate our strength as Veterans, families, and supporters of Veterans. VDOTH is open to all Veterans and supporters, and no membership in any organization is required.

The rally’s goal is to demonstrate that voters are paying attention to how decisions are being made and tracking what actions are being taken to ensure Veterans' needs are being addressed. VDOTH provides a place to gather to focus on the hard questions and hard work yet to be done and heard.

The following list are some of the issues being worked on at the legislative level for 2024:

• Pass the Veterans and Military Omnibus Bill. The 2023 session produced the second Veterans & Military Omnibus Bill, and this action to separate our legislation has become a Minnesota precedent. This ought to be a regular expectation, like a tax or transportation bill.
• Modernize the Homestead Market Value Exclusion. There are two levels of property tax exclusions. The first one is a maximum exemption of $150,000 for veterans rated 70 to 100 percent disabled. The second level of exclusion is for 100 percent permanent and disabled veterans at $300,000. We need to expand the disability percent rate to 50 to 100 percent at $200,000 and a value exclusion of $400,000 for 100 percent rated veterans.
• Waive license fees on hunting, trapping, and fishing for all Minnesota veterans. The approval of this proposal would likely increase the net license revenue for the DNR by encouraging their family members to purchase licenses.
• Allocate proceeds from military/veteran license plates to the Support Our Troops License Plate Grant Fund. Proceeds from all the other kinds of license plates that recognize past military service, military decorations, veterans’ organizations, or veteran status (40 in total) go into the state’s general fund.

This year the event (rally) is being held on April 17, 2024, in St. Paul. It will kick off at the Armory, 600 Cedar St., St. Paul. The Disabled American Veterans are providing free coffee starting at 1000 hours (10:00 a.m.) and free lunch at 1130 (11:30 a.m.). Veterans march to the rally at 1300 (1:00 p.m.) starting at the State Veterans Service Building, 20 West 12th St., St. Paul. The rally in the Capitol Rotunda is from 1315 (1:15 p.m.) to 1400 (2:00 p.m.).

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Please note this is a non-partisan event. The Veterans Service Organizations (American Legion, DAV, VFW, and others) are also non-partisan, as are your CVSOs (civil servants employed by their respective counties). The rally is about Veteran advocacy and making positive legislative changes to improve the lives of Veterans, their families, and those they leave behind.

Looking towards VDOTH 2025, Cook and Lake CVSOs are discussing transportation options to provide North Shore Veterans an opportunity to attend next year’s rally. Would you be interested in attending?  Keep your eyes and ears open, as your CVSOs will be trying to gauge interest and determine what type of transportation will be needed to get everyone to St. Paul.

Related: Over 30 Cook County and Grand Portage community members and leaders gathered for a Legislative Event with Representative Skraba