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INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana soldiers, veterans and their families are getting a boost from state lawmakers, who've set aside partisan wrangling over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to help those serving the nation. Bills have advanced that would give new tax breaks to active-duty soldiers, members of the Indiana National Guard and reservists; provide money to help military families struggling because a member has been mobilized; and allow parents, spouses and siblings of Guard members and reservists who are being deployed to take some unpaid leave from their jobs to be with their families. "Of all the stuff we are doing right now, I'd rather see us pass something to help the kids who are busting their butts for us over there," said Republican Sen. Thomas Wyss of Fort Wayne, chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, Transportation and Veterans Affairs. Not that all of the returning combat veterans are kids. Many of the soldiers deployed from the Indiana National Guard were in their 30s, 40s or even 50s, said Tom Petri, who was deployed with the 113th Engineer Battalion. If he were writing a bill, he would like to see the state subsidize college tuition for older returning veterans, who have often seen their college benefits under the GI Bill expire, earlier in their military career. "By the time they get out, they may not have any eligibility left," he said. He and his wife, Amy, formed Patriot Packs, which sent packages to local soldier deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The two accountants also own a private company that prepares taxes in Michigan City. This April they saw several soldiers who owed money to the state, because Indiana's $2,000 deduction for military pay does not cover their taxes, he said. Petri was especially interested in a bill that would raise the deduction to $5,000 for all military pay, including retirement benefits and survivor benefits. "It's certainly moving in the right direction," he said. It is not yet clear how many bills to benefit soldiers will pass, or in what form, but Gov. Mitch Daniels recently expressed optimism that several would reach his desk with bipartisan support. "I'm looking forward to signing them," said Daniels, who proposed a package of benefits for soldiers and veterans before the session. Many are in a bill that passed the Senate and House, although differences in the versions must be reconciled in a House-Senate conference committee. One bill already bears his signature. That new law, which takes effect July 1, will give National Guard members returning from active duty priority for placement in employment and training programs provided by the state. Spouses of Guard members also are eligible. "We want to make sure that the transition back into our work force is as easy as possible," said Sen. Sue Errington, D-Muncie, the bill's author. Nearly 12,000 people are members of the Indiana Army National Guard and more than 1,900 serve with the Indiana Air National Guard, said Staff Sgt. Les Newport of the Indiana Army National Guard. Of those, about 9,800 have served on active duty since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- many of them in Iraq or Afghanistan. Thousands of reservists from Indiana also have served in those countries. Lengthy deployments can pose both emotional and financial hardships for the soldiers and their families. Training typically lasts six to eight weeks and deployments to the Mideast one year, although some units have served longer, Newport said. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced recently that the Army was adding three months to the standard yearlong tour for all active-duty soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, a step aimed at maintaining the troop buildup in Baghdad. Lawmakers created a new state-run Military Family Relief Fund last year that will be used to help such families during a spouse's deployment. Money for the fund is coming from donations and sales of a new Support Our Troops license plate and an existing veterans plate. The fund allows grants of up to $2,000 to pay for such things as food, housing, utilities, medical services, transportation costs or other essentials. About $161,925 was available for the fund as of March 11, according to Tom Applegate, director of the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs. The budget bill passed by the House would add $450,000 to the fund, and a bill passed by the Senate would provide up to $350,000 annually to match money from plate sales and donations. Found here. Sphere: Related Content