Tuesday, March 15, 2016

What needs to be fixed to comply with Colorado's Constitution Article X Section 3.5?

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Easy. Everyone swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and we can count on our public servants to correct legislation offensive to the Constitution. Their oaths, plus the clear knowledge that inaction by the Legislature fails Colorado's disabled veterans by denying us our Constitution's protection, make the Legislature's duty obvious.

Easy because it is so very clear. Current defective statutes addressing Article X Section 3.5 so clearly offend the Constitution we can easily summarize what's needed.

Corrective Action:
1. Military service total disability retirements must have enabling statute
2. All barriers to VA's total disability individual unemployability (TDIU) permanent ratings must be removed, but do not need corrective legislation. Regulatory correction suffices because each element of TDIU already satisfies constitutional requirement NOTE: RECOMMENDED: correct the defect in the entire program's failure to accommodate widows of service members who die on active duty, without a chance to qualify for veteran's status 
Justification:
1. Military service total disability retirements are clearly specified in Article X Section 3.5 and must be made acceptable to CDMA
2. The electorate exercised its power to amend the Constitution and approved Referendum E. Voter guidance from Colorado Legislative Council described unemployable disabled veterans, and each specific in Article X Section 3.5 as well as subsequent legislation detailed "permanent, service-connected, 100% total" as qualifying elements. The US Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration confirmed each element is also an element of the VA permanent TDIU disability rating, and VA has offered to brief CDMA and other Colorado agencies.

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