Robitaille Proposes Tax Exemption for Veterans

Robitaille Proposes Tax Exemption for Veterans

Republican candidate for governor John Robitaille is aiming to help some Rhode Islanders whom he described as the “most underserved” group in the state—veterans.

If elected governor, he plans to help them out in a big way. Yesterday, Robitaille unveiled a plan to completely exempt the military pensions of disabled and retired veterans from any state income taxes.

“As a veteran myself I understand the personal hardships that veterans and their families willingly endure for the security of our nation,” Robitaille said. “We owe a great deal of gratitude to our veterans and they are entitled to be treated with the highest degree of dignity and respect.”

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The exemption would apply only to pensions—not any other income—and would include pensions for retirement as well as disabilities, according to Mike Napolitano, a spokesman for Robitaille. The change would affect an estimated 77,000 veterans who live in Rhode Island, according to 2009 data provided by the state Division of Veterans Affairs.

The tax exemption would be part of an overall focus that his administration would bring to veteran matters, Robitaille said. “They have contributed so much, yet they are perhaps the most underserved segment of our population,” he said. “This will change quickly under my administration.”

A New Department for Veterans

As part of the renewed focus on veterans, Robitaille said he would convert the Division of Veteran Affairs into its own department—it currently lives within the Department of Human Services. Robitaille said the state has already approved the change—but did not fund it in its 2011 budget.

But creating the new department wouldn’t necessarily raise expenses, according to Robitaille. “The new director might be someone chosen from the existing division, so at this point there is no speculation on how many additional staff would be needed,” Robitaille told GoLocalProv. “It might actually result in a consolidation of efforts under one roof.”

“This will be part of a broader look to streamline the organization and provide improved customer service. We must do what’s right first to take care of our veterans, and then we can look at the budget impact,” Robitaille added.

Robitaille’s primary opponent, Victor Moffitt, yesterday accused Robitaille of copying ideas he had originally come up with.

“Elimination of Veteran Pensions and creating a cabinet level Dept of Veterans Affairs have been two of my main Veteran issues since I was a State Rep.  It’s about time John wants to support MY Veteran issues....” Moffitt wrote in an e-mail.