Veteran's issues have always been one of the top priorities among lawmakers in the General Assembly. Throughout my time in the Legislature, my colleagues and I have worked on legislation that has helped and will continue to better serve those veterans throughout our state.

In 2007, the General Assembly passed a measure (House Bill 444) that exempts Social Security benefits, Social Security disability, and non-private retirement benefits from being taxed. Residents age 62 or older and disabled residents of any age are eligible for the exemption, which started with a 20 percent deduction in 2007 and increases until 2010 when Social Security becomes completely exempt. However, the legislation did not offer a complete tax exemption to all Missouri veterans for their retirement benefits until they reached age 62.

This past session, lawmakers worked to fix that measure by passing House Bill 82, which gradually grants a full state income tax exemption on military retirement income for our state's veterans. The bill will exempt retirement benefits immediately upon a veteran's retirement, without requiring that veteran to be at least 62 years old. House Bill 82 increases the exemption by 15 percent annually beginning in 2010 until it is fully implemented at 100 percent in 2016. The bill was signed by the governor in July and became effective Aug. 28.

To help lawmakers further address important veterans' issues, several of my colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives were recently appointed to serve on the Missouri Veterans Commission. This commission, which until recently did not have lawmakers on its panel, serves our state's veterans who have dedicated and sacrificed every part of themselves to fight for our freedom — the very freedom that sets Americans apart from many other citizens and countries around the world.

The Missouri Veterans Commission contains several programs, including the Veterans Home Program, where state-of-the-art accommodations are combined with recreational, physical, and rehabilitative therapy and social services; the Veterans Service Program, which provides veterans with VA compensation and pension, medical, and educational assistance; and the Veterans Cemeteries Program, where a veteran and their spouse may qualify for free burial benefits.

Other operations within the Missouri Veterans Commission include the Women and Minority Veterans Program, which has been created to reach out to these groups and help them to gain uniform, equal, and effective services. Operation Outreach provides support to service members, their families, and our state's newest veterans who are facing financial hardships due to their deployment after they return back from service.

For more information on veterans' issues, please call the Missouri Veterans Commission at 1-866-VET-INFO or visit www.mvc.dps.mo.gov. And if you have any additional questions or comments regarding issues in your state government, please feel free to contact me at (573) 751-8793 or by e-mail at: delbertscott@senate.mo.gov.