Request as many of our members as possible send the attached letter of the legislative priorities to the four State Senators and ten State Representatives throughout the months of June and July, the sooner the better. We also recommend the same letter be sent to the Speaker of the NC House, minority leader within the State House, and the NC Senate Majority Leader as well as the NC Senate Minority Leader.

As described in the 2021 Legislative Report, we have chosen, in alignment with our State and National MOAA and organizations, the following three priorities for the state legislators within Western NC to support. Packages have already been sent to each of the 14 total legislators in Western NC, but to follow up with individual letters from you to your specific State Senator and Representative will help us turn NC into a “Green” state, the measure used to rate states as to their friendliness to military and military retirees within each U.S. state.

The three priorities are, in order:

1. State Tax Exemption for Active-Duty Military and Retired Veterans. Western NC MOAA has decided to recommend support for HB 83 over four other similar bills before the legislature. Over 30 states already have such bills approved.

2. Full Funding of NC Department of Military and Veteran’s Affairs (NC DMVA).

3. Support for four issues to be referred to Military Affairs. The four issues are: (1) Military Spouse Licensure Portability, which allows for temporary spouse licensure for active duty spouses while living in NC, (2) Licensing compacts, which requires licensing agencies to work with similar licensing agencies in other states to develop and participate in compacts to allow licensing across state lines, (3) In state tuition continuity for active-duty members and their families, and (4) Combat injured veterans tax fairness, which extends the statute of limitations for requesting a refund of State income taxes to conform to federal tax treatment.

The first and third priorities above affect active duty as well as retired military members in Western NC. The second is almost exclusively beneficial to military retirees.

The form letter and addresses for the 10 Legislators representing Western NC are attached (underneath the capitol dome above). Please send your letter to your appropriate State Senator and Representative as well as a letter to the two leaders within the State House and two leaders within the State Senate. The sooner the better!

Michael Padgett, COL (USA-Ret)

Chair, WNC-MOAA State Legislative Affairs