ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Veterans and their contributions are well entrenched in our state's history. The United States Naval Academy, Fort Meade and all the supporting veteran organizations in Maryland are proof of that.
"You know, we understand the shoulders we are standing on and so we appreciate the service and commitment to the people of this state," said Governor Wes Moore.
This week Governor Moore, a veteran himself, held a roundtable to discuss with veterans their concerns for veterans in our state. Some of the early bills focus on tax breaks for veterans who retire here.
Lawmakers are expanding the benefits to others in the family that will require the Department of Veterans Affairs to bury the eligible spouses of veterans at a state veterans cemetery without charge.
"Not just the veteran, but their spouse is taking care of," said senator Johnny Ray Sallings.
Sallings is one of the sponsors of the the bill and knows so many veterans work and live in Maryland and he wants to keep it that way.
"There are lot of things that we would like to make sure our veterans don't leave the state, like tax credits and tax breaks from the state. Finding ways for property tax. If we could get those kind of things, our veterans would stay in the state of Maryland," Sallings said.
Now, to bury a spouse with you in one of the five veterans cemeteries in our state costs just under $900.
"That person has been through a lot which you went through, just being at home and waiting for you to come home. That's a lot of stress," said
As the current bill stands, it does not include dependents of veterans. Lawmakers we talked to said they would like to include that in the future. If the current bill passes, it will go into effect October 1.
