09/02/2021
Florida leaders,
WE, the Florida combat wounded, wrote you asking for your assistance many times in the past. Florida is not compliant with 38 USC 5301. We sent the documentation, offered to link you up with Attorney Carson Tucker who wrote the SCOTUS Amicus brief in Howell vs Howell 2017 that won unanimously stating VA disability/combat wounded disability are protected and we offered to meet/testify at the committees.
We applaud Sen Gruters and Rep Rodriguez last year by adding our amendment to the alimony bill.
Why can't we fix this as a separate bill? We only ask that you abide by federal law. Our lives are in pain every day. Our lives are shortened due to our injuries. Florida combat veterans are hurting. Florida does so much for us but you need to fix this issue. If we break Florida law, we go to jail But Florida is breaking federal law. You are hurting the men and women who were injured fighting for your freedom.
More than ever, we need your support. Adding this as an amendment to the alimony bill makes the combat wounded targets for the alimony groups against it. They say nasty stuff to us like we fought for oil, we really did nothing, we are nothing. There are so many fake pages organized by a few people. I wanted to see who was saying such bad stuff. One person in Orlando acts as many fake webpages. The First Wives Advocacy Group is vicious towards us organized by one in Orlando.
I ask you to help us aligning Florida with federal law, don't make us a target and help heal our hearts. We need to know you have our six.
All the Florida veteran organizations support this bill (attached below that adds disability and VA benefits). It is simple. It was the amendment that passed the House last year and aligns Florida with federal law. Fight for us as we have fought for you.
Recommended bill:
A bill to be entitled An act relating to dissolution of marriage; amending s. 61.046, F.S.; revising the definition of the term "income"; amending s. 61.08, F.S.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
Section 1. Subsection (8) of section 61.046, Florida Statute, is amended to read: 61.046 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term: (8) "Income" means any form of payment to an individual, regardless of source, including, but not limited to: wages, salary, commissions and bonuses, compensation as an independent contractor, worker's compensation, disability benefits, annuity and retirement benefits, pensions, dividends, interest, royalties, trusts, and any other payments, made by any person, private entity, federal or state government, or any unit of local government. United States Department of Veterans Affairs disability benefits, Combat Related Disability benefits and reemployment assistance or unemployment compensation are excluded from this definition of income except for purposes of establishing an amount of child support.
