Ohio legislative proposal

Press Release! Update Click Below:

COA Urges Strong Show of Support
For Ohio Retiree Income Tax Exemption

also read http://www.coausphs.org/news.cfm

Below is an important message regarding important legislation:

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DETAILS: Below is an email from National COA's Government Relations Director, Judy Rensberger, regarding a current effort in the Ohio House of Representatives intended to add Uniformed Service Officers from NOAA and the PHS to the recently-passed legislation exempting military retirement pay from Ohio State taxation. Interested Ohio-citizen officers and retirees may want to contact their representative and solicit their endorsement and/or co-sponsorship of the corrective bill. Encouragement of a similar bill in the senate is also required though it may be helpful to be patient on the Senate version for the moment. For now, passage in the Ohio State House is number one priority. Cincy COA's legislative subcommittee will inquire for guidance from Rep Stautberg and/or Mr. Frazier on the best way to approach the Senate companion bill once the House bill is passed. We will share that info as soon as it is learned.

Remember, if you choose to pursue this, you are doing so as a private citizen and should not utilize government accounts or equipment for your communication. If you know Ohio-citizen retirees who may not stay in touch with COA issues, feel free to share this information with them (along with a gentle reminder that this is another example as to why they should join COA).

Good Luck!!!!!!

CAPT Ken Mead
Cincy-COA Legislative Subcommittee

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Hello,
Here is an update on the Ohio legislative proposal to exempt USPHS and NOAA retirement pay from state income taxation. Please share with your fellow officers in Ohio, active-duty and retired, and enlist their willingness to get behind this.

The bill is House Bill 188, introduced on May 19 by Rep. Peter J. Stautberg, a Cincinnati Republican, and Rep. Peter Ujvagi, a Toledo Democrat. They are providing sponsor testimony Thursday, June 4th before the relevant committee of jurisdiction. The prepared remarks say in part:

"Along with the five better-known military service branches, the commissioned officers of the USPHS and NOAA make-up the seven Uniformed Services of the United States. In the last General Assembly, HB 372 provided, among others matters, an exemption for retirement income earned by retirees of the five military service branches. A constituent brought to my attention the fact that commissioned officers of the USPHS and NOAA were not included in HB 372. That omission was simply an oversight, and HB 188 will merely correct that oversight."

As you know, the constituent is CAPT Clyde Dial, the USPHS retiree and COA member who participated in our conference call on April 20.

The legislative staffer who has done such an amazing job is Mike Fraizer. His contact information is below, and he has assured me that it's OK to contact him directly to ask how you can help. I hope you will do that. Mike is terrific, a joy to work with.

Mike Fraizer
Legislative Aide to Rep. Peter J. Stautberg
77 South High Street, 11th Floor
614-644-6886
Columbus, Ohio 43215
mike.fraizer@ohr.state.oh.us

In addition to the two primary sponsors, the following Ohio House members also have signed on as sponsors: Troy Balderson, 94th Dist.; Courtney Eric Combs, 54th; Cliff Hite, 76th; Kris Jordan, 2nd; Robert Mecklenborg, 30th.

Here are links to the Ohio legislature's home page http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/ and the page allows you to identify your own Rep and his/her contact information.
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/search.cfm#reps_zip
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Although COA will be thanking sponsors, that will not get this bill passed. Legislators need to hear from their constituents.

As of this moment, I have no information about a companion bill in the Ohio Senate.

THANKS to all of you for your interest! If this effort is successful, we will have a winning template to share with other COA branches! Regards,

Judy

Judith Rensberger, MS, MPH
Government Relations Director
Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service
8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 200
Landover, Maryland 20785
301-731-9080 or 866-366-9593
www.coausphs.org

BELOW are instructions and a link to a sample letter (word document) that you can use as a TEMPLATE

CLICK HERE for the SAMPLE LETTER

1. Identify your House District and your elected representative. Go to http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/search.cfm#reps_zip and enter your nine-digit zip code.

2. Use the sample letter as a guide. Be certain to include at least a few lines about yourself and your work.

3. Send your letter to the elected representative you have identified as yours. (If you wish, send copies to House leaders.)

4. Send a real letter through U.S. Mail. It has more impact and is less error-prone than e-mail.

BELOW is a contact list of people to write about this bill:

Let your contacts know that they do not have to send it to everyone, but the "Key Contacts" at the top and the Chairman are the top priorities on the whole list.However, the more people that receive the letter on the committee the better reception the bill will have in committee.

Key Contacts in the Ohio House

Speaker Armond Budish

77 S. High Street, 14^th Floor

Columbus, Ohio 43215

Rep. Matt Szollosi
77 S. High Street, 14^th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Rep. Jennifer Garrison

77 S. High Street, 14^th Floor

Columbus, Ohio 43215

Minority Leader William Batchelder
77 S. High Street, 14^th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Members of the House Financial Institutions, Real Estate, and Securities Committee

Democratic Members

Chairman Joseph Koziura Rep. Lorraine Fende

77 S. High Street, 13^th Floor 77 S. High Street, 13^th Floor