Fall veto session: Governor to bring up full property tax exemption for disabled veterans

[November 12, 2008]  CHICAGO -- On Veterans Day, in honor of all of the brave men and women who have fought for our freedoms, Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich renewed his promise to help the state's wounded military heroes. The governor announced that this veto session he will once again be committed to giving a full property tax exemption to an estimated 16,000 Illinois veterans who have a service-connected disability of 50 percent or more, and he is urging the General Assembly to pass this tax relief legislation during the 2008 veto session.

"Today and every day, we honor our veterans who have given so much to protect our freedom, and we should do everything we can to help them live productive and stable lives when they return home," Blagojevich said. "No disabled veteran should lose their home because they can't pay their rising property taxes. These brave men and women were injured while serving this country and protecting our rights. I am determined that here in Illinois, we will ensure that this nation's promise of caring for its veterans does not go unkept."

In August, the governor used his constitutional authority to improve House Bill 4201 to expand property tax relief for veterans with disabilities. The improvements were accepted in the Illinois House but did not pass in the Illinois Senate.

At the Veterans Day ceremony at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth urged both houses to work with the governor to help veterans with service-connected disabilities get the benefits they have rightfully earned.

"When our military men and women answered this nation's call, we promised them that we would care for them when they returned home. Those who were injured during their service deserve the very best benefits that this nation has to offer," Duckworth said.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs uses a rating system based on an official finding that links the veteran's disability or illness with the period of a veteran's military service. The severity of the veteran's disability dictates what percent the disability rating will be. For example, a veteran who suffered a leg amputation just above the knee would have a 60 percent disability rating from the VA, while a veteran with a leg amputation just below the knee would have a 40 percent rating. And with the advances in medical technology, more veterans are surviving devastating combat wounds and coming home from the current conflicts with severe injuries. Veterans with high percentages of disability often live on a fixed income.

The amount of property taxes paid in Illinois has increased over 31 percent in the last five years and 64 percent during the last 10 years. In this difficult housing market, where more than 90,000 Illinoisans filed foreclosure last year, veterans with service-connected disabilities have already earned additional protections from the state under the standard homestead exemption for disabled veterans.

The exemption provides a reduction in equalized assessed valuation to a qualifying property owned by a veteran with a service-connected disability certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A $2,500 homestead exemption is available to a veteran with a service-connected disability of at least 50 percent but less than 75 percent, and a $5,000 homestead exemption is available to a veteran with a service-connected disability of at least 75 percent.

[Text from file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]