MILWAUKEE – County Executive David Crowley pledged to sign the proposal to lower the eligibility threshold to expand property tax relief for disabled veterans and their surviving spouses as governor.
“Our disabled veterans have earned this relief and shouldn’t have to fight for it. Lowering this threshold is common sense and I will sign it the moment it hits my desk as governor. And for our National Guard members deployed in Iran right now — service is service. No red tape should stand between them and the complete federal benefits they’ve earned,” said County Executive David Crowley.
As governor, Crowley will also advocate to ensure State Active Duty service counts toward federal VA eligibility, push for immediate VA healthcare access for all Guard members regardless of deployment length, and support simplifying veteran status recognition so every Guard member who completes their service receives the full benefits they have earned.
Under current federal law, National Guard members typically only qualify for “earned” federal benefits, like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and VA Home Loans, after completing 90 days of qualifying service. Guard members serving on Title 10 federal orders that serve less than those 90 days do not earn these benefits unless they are discharged for a service-connected disability after serving at least 30 continuous days.
While Title 32 federal orders can count toward VA Home Loans after 90 days, they do not count toward the GI Bill unless the mission is authorized in response to a national emergency declared by the President. National Guard members authorized by the governor to serve State Active Duty, do not qualify for federal VA benefits. This leaves many Guard members without access to the same tuition assistance, housing stability, and federal disability protections as their active-duty counterparts, despite facing the same risks.
These distinctions, Title 10, Title 32, State Active Duty, mean nothing to the men and women wearing the uniform while they are serving. They mean everything when a Guard member comes home and tries to use the GI Bill, buy a house, or access VA healthcare. David Crowley believes that if you served, you earned it. As governor, he will fight to make sure the law reflects that.