State Rep. Randy Terrill will be the keynote speaker at a July 4th event held at the Moore Veterans Memorial at the southeast corner of 4th Street and Bryant Ave.
“As we observe the anniversary of our nation’s founding, it is appropriate that we also recognize the sacrifices of the men and women who have kept our nation free,” said Terrill, R-Moore. “I am both honored and excited by this opportunity.”
“While this is an American Legion ceremony, I’d encourage anyone who appreciates the sacrifices of our veterans to attend,” said Preston Simms, commander for American Legion Post 184. “This memorial honors all veterans and we’d love to see our fellow Moore citizens show up in force.”
This is the first Fourth of July ceremony conducted at the memorial since it was completed in August 2007.
Terrill, who chairs the House Revenue and Taxation Subcommittee, has led the charge to create new tax breaks for Oklahoma veterans since Republicans gained control of the Oklahoma House of Representatives in November 2004.
Oklahoma’s benefits for military veterans include the following:
· Up to 75 percent or $10,000 (whichever is greater) in military retirement benefits are now exempt from state income tax.
· 100 percent of service-connected disability benefits are exempt from both federal and state income-tax for most veterans.
· Both active military and veterans receive an ad valorem tax exemption in the amount of $200 of the assessed value of their personal property.
Veterans are also entitled to claim an exemption for the full amount of the fair cash value of their homestead.
· Veterans are exempt from paying motor vehicle excise tax on one vehicle and disabled veterans do not have to pay sales tax on up to $25,000 in purchases each year.
· Sales to the Disabled American Veterans of Oklahoma and their subordinate chapters are also now exempt from sales tax.
· Sales to nonprofit organizations that limit membership to honorable-discharged veterans and provide financial support for the purpose of constructing a memorial or museum are exempt from sales tax.
· Sales to the Oklahoma chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States are exempt from sales tax.
Lawmakers have also voted to honor Oklahoma veterans with special license plates for Congressional Medal of Honor recipients (with no annual registration fee), spouses of veterans killed in action (with only an $8 annual registration fee), veterans who were prisoners of war (at an $8 annual registration fee), the parents of those killed in action (Gold Star license plates), and veterans with at least a 50 percent service-connected disability are entitled to a reduced rate on annual registration and/or a special DAV license plate.
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