COLORADO SENATE SNUBBED FAMILIES – KILLED GOLD STAR WIVES' PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION

June 7 2021: Colorado Senate killed Gold Star Wives bill for
given survivors of totally disabled veterans (HCR21-1002

Last week the Colorado Senate really disappointed me. It killed a bill to include Gold Star Wives (widows of troops who die in the line of duty) the same small property tax exemption given widows of totally disabled veterans.

Did senators think our widows don't need the exemption to keep their homes and survive on the puny $1350 per month VA death benefit?

Thousands of survivors of Colorado's disabled vets already get this exemption as they should – but the Senate refused it to our 140 Gold Star Wives. These survivors are denied the exemption only because their servicemembers died in the line of duty on active duty rather than as disabled veterans after active duty.

Esteemed Senators: did you give this any thought before you killed HCR21-1002, passed unanimously by the House?

 

Mission Statement & Initial Plans for Gold Star Wives 2022 Property Tax Initiative

CLICK to download this 5-page outline of this goal for Gold Star Wives to get the same property tax relief as do survivors of disabled veterans.

Progress. Notes – April 16, 2021

 I have to admit, progress thus far is fairly disappointing. Mailings and phone calls for two weeks to politicians, associations, veterans, the media and everyone else I could think of have had a single response. Senator Ginia's staffer called to ask a couple questions to decide whether she'd brief her boss.

On Monday I have a Zoom call with the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor's chiefs of staff. I have questions aplenty, but don't know what their perspective is. Last year it was all about, "Nice, Wes. We'd like to offer widows the exemption but where's the money to come from?"

Here's an issue nobody in the Capitol would vote against, and we can't get traction. At age 75 and with various attention-grabbing health issues, I sure hope some champion will leap out in front of this project to take it on.