The governor signed two identical pieces of legislation, HB 1128 and SB 528, which will exempt up to $40,000 of veteran retirement pay from taxes and prioritize Virginia’s Military and Veteran Community.
“When I had the great privilege elf being hired by all of you, we expressed a great series of commitments, and you’re at the top of the list of that commitment: to go work on a bi-partisan basis to make Virginia the most military and veteran-friendly state in America,” said Youngkin.
A crowd of more than 100 people, many of the veterans, gathered at Patricio Enterprises Inc. at Quantico Corporate Center in Stafford County to watch the bill signing. Youngkin’s visit was the second time in less than two weeks, following an event at Colonial Forge High School on September 1, where he signed executive order loosening the hiring requirements for new teachers.
State Senator Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) and Delegate John McGuire (R-Goochland) carried the bills across the finish line. McGuire said many veterans have moved from Virginia to North Carolina, which does not tax veterans’ benefits, and that he hopes Virginia, eventually, will end the practice altogether.
A Cardinal News report notes Nothern Virginia is leading the state’s population loss, noting Fairfax and Prince William counties as the two largest counties no longer attracting new residents.
State Senator Jeremy McPike (D-Prince William) supported the legislation, which he hopes will reverse the trend of veterans leaving the state.
“Hey, come on back. If you’re out of state, this is already a great place. One of the keys is having a community of veterans. VFW Post 1503, right up the road in Dale City, is the largest in the world, and I think it’s important that veterans know there’s a strong base of veterans here,” McPike told Potomac Local News.
Reeves called the legislation a stepping stone in caring for the state’s veterans. He said the state needs to do more to help former service members transition into civilian life.
“We still have a lot of broken sailors, soldiers, airmen, marines, coast guard, and they need us,” said Reeves.
The region will soon be home to two new federal veterans’ healthcare facilities. In Spotsylvania, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is building a four-story, 450,000-square- foot clinic on a 48-acres at U.S. Route 1 at Hood Drive, opening next year.
At Vint Hill in Fauquier County, the Virginia Department of Veterans Affairs will open a 128-bed senior care facility next year that will feature all private rooms organized into households and neighborhoods that surround a central community center.
Quantico Corporate Center is a business park near the Marine Corps Base that is home to the Marine Corps Officers Candidate School, which commissions Marine officers.
