Posted on: Monday, February 14, 2005
Bills to aid citizen soldiers advance
Associated Press
The Senate Military Affairs Committee advanced a series of bills to help lessen the financial burden on Hawai'i's citizen soldiers while they are deployed to the Middle East.
Another measure passed by the committee would create a relief fund for families of Guard and Reserve troops to help solve the financial problems caused by one or more family members deployed or called to active duty. It would establish a checkoff program on state income tax forms to finance the fund.
Another bill would give a tax break to private employers who pay the difference between what a deployed employee makes at his or her civilian job, and their military pay.
The tax credit would be set at 5 percent of the employee's salary and be capped at $1,000 per employee.
Maj. Gen. Robert Lee, the state adjutant general, said he has been trying to put in place a similar tax break on the federal level.
Right now employers who go above and beyond to help their deployed workers only earn a "thank you" from the state and federal governments, Lee said.
Among the measures given preliminary approval Friday is a bill to reimburse Hawai'i National Guard members for their air-travel expenses to attend drills or other official duties.
Robert Lee
