Service Officers Newsletter for October 2026

I have been informing all about a SB-180. Okay it is on the November 3rd ballot for the ENTIRE state as it is a Constitutional Amendment. It will be CA-1 on the ballot. Please for fellow veterans vote for this CA. 

There will also be CA-6 and CA-9 that you need to look at very well.

What I recommend is that you download the Secretary of States app, “GEAUX VOTE” on your phone. This app gives you a lot of information including what will be on your ballot November 3rd and all future elections. There will be 10 CA’s and a bunch of people to be elected. Remember this if your voting location is busy, you have only 3 minutes to cast your votes. The commissioners have the right and power to enforce the 3-minute rule. So, make sure you know how you are going to vote before you go into the booth. The SOS app, when you look on your phone at your ballot will allow you to mark how you want to vote. You are allowed to take your phone into the voting booth but not talk to someone while in the voting booth.

Any questions or problems with the app call the Register of Voters or the Clerk of Court.

I encourage for everyone to go see the VAC at the VSO and see if you qualify for a compensation or pension. The VAC address and phone number is on the first page of the newsletter.

A compensation is for an injury that occurred during your military service or a condition that when you went into the military service and the military service aggravated your injury/condition. Compensation DOES NOT depend on your income or assets.

Now for a Pension. A Pension is a dollar amount that depends on your income and your assets. Not including your primary home and one vehicle.

Now the war time frame: it goes back to the Mexican Border Period so I will start with WWII.

WWII - 12/7/1941 to 12/31/1946

Korean Conflict - 6/27/1950 to 1/31/1955

Vietnam War Era - 11/1/1955 to 5/7/1975 (in-country) - AND/OR - 8/5/1964 to 5/7/1975 (outside)

Gulf War - 8/2/1990 to Present   

You must meet specific active duty and wartime service periods depending on when you entered service. Such as 90 days for service starting before September 8, 1980, or generally 24 months for enlisted service after September 7, 1980, with at least one day during a recognized wartime period.

To qualify for the VA Veterans Pension, you must have a discharge other than dishonorable, meet income and net worth limits, and fulfill specific service and age or health criteria.

CORE REQUIREMENTS

Must meet the following

You did not receive a dishonorable discharge.

Income and net worth. Your yearly family income and net worth are below the limits set by congress. The new worth limit is $163,699 effective through November 30, 2026. Again, you do not count your house and one car. You do count your debt and medical bills.

You must meet at least one for the following:

Be 65 years or older

Have a permanent and total disability

Reside in a long-term care nursing home for a disability

Receive Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income

Additional money can be added for a spouse and dependents.

The form for the Veterans Pension Benefits is:

VA FORM 21P-527EZ

Best thing at this time to do now is to check your income and assets and determine if it is below the $163,699.00. If it is then file for the Pension, it is your money.

Filing for VA compensation and a VA pension you can call the VA National number and tell the person you want a “INTENT TO FILE” for a VA pension. This will start your time and you will have one year to actually file your information. The VA National phone number is 800.827.1000. when the recording answers do not press anything until you hear it repeated in Spanish. After the Spanish press one, it will then ask for you SS#, date of birth and what branch you served. It will then transfer you to a live person. I WISH TO FILE An INTENT TO FILE.

One of our post members went to the VAC at the VSO. The VAC started his intent to file and had him go and retrieve the following information.

DD-214, you should have one at all times.

Marriage Licenses, this is for extra money for spouse

And dependents you may have

All household income

All your assets, (not your primary residence and one car) IRA, SAVINGS, CD, CHECKING

All unreimbursed medical expenses

Co-pays

Private medical

RX, prescription and over the counter.

All your debt, house notes, car notes, loans.

I would suggest a copy of your last year’s Federal Tax Return

I hope this information helps

Call me for questions. Richard 985.773.3709

On the ballot on November 3 2026 there will be SB-180. Google it read it and understand it. This bill will be voted on state wide and it will help the surviving spouse after the DISABLED veteran passes. Please pass the word and go vote to pass SB-180, this is a Constitutional Amendment.

         November 3, Tuesday will be an election day.
Several items will be on the ballot. One that is very important to disabled veterans and their families is SB-180. Everyone in the state that votes on November 3 has it on their ballot as this is a constitutional amendment. 

Hopefully it will pass to help veterans and their family

What would it do and allow:

Currently disabled veterans rated by the VA of 50% and greater can receive a special assessment on their property tax along with the Homestead Exemption. Currently when the veteran dies that Special Exemption stays with the house and cannot be moved

If SB-180 passes, the surviving spouse would then be able to move that Special Assessment one (1) time. This would then, if wanted, allow the surviving spouse to move to another residence. Spouse could move closer to other family members or even down size to a smaller home.

Please help to get the word out to everyone to vote YES on SB-180 at the November 3, 2026 election.

BYLAWS CHANGE AND ADDITIONS

The Post Bylaws of Robert Burns ARTICLE XI AMENDENTS Section 1 states: THESE BYLAWS MAY BE AMENDED AT ANY REGULAR MEETING BY A VOTE OF TWO-THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS OF SAID POST ATTENDING SUCH REGULAR MEETING: PROVIDED, THAT THE PROPOSED AMENDENT SHALL HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED IN WRITING AND READ AT THE PREVIOUS REQULAR MEETING OF THE SAID POST; AND PROVIDED, FURTHER, THAT WRITTEN NOTICE SHALL HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO ALL MEMBERS AT LEASE 10 (TEN) DAY IN ADVANCE OF THE REGULAR MEETING AND THE DATE WHEN SUCH AMENDENT IS TO BE VOTED UPON, NOTIFYING SAID MEMBERS THAT AT SUCH MEETING A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE BY LAWS IS TO BE VOTED UPON.

TO ENSURE THAT ALL MEMBERS ARE NOTIFIED OF THESE ADDITIONS AND CHANGES, AND THE 10-DAY NOTIFICATION IS MEET

THESES CHANGES AND ADDITIONS ARE BEING READ AT THE SEPTEMBER MEETING AND WILL BE VOTED ON AT THE NOVEMBER GENERAL MEETING REQUIRING A 2/3 VOTE OF THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP.

ARTICLE TO BE ADDED TO THE BYLAWS AS THERE IS NO ARTICLE TO BE AMENDED, JUST ADDED.

ARTICLE XIII: NO PRESENT ARTICLE TO READ

ARTICLE XIII – FISCAL YEAR

SECTION 1: THE FISCAL YEAR OF ROBERT H. BURNS POST 16 WILL BE AUGUST 1 TO JULY 31

SECTION 2: AT THE JUNE EXCTUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING PRECEEDING THE ENDING OF THE FISCAL YEAR THE EXECTUTIVE COMMITTEE WILL REVIEW THE BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. THIS BUDGET WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIIP FOR CHANGES AND/OR ADDITIONS FOR APPROVAL AT THE JULY GENERAL MEMBERSHIP ENDING THE FISICAL YEAR.

SECTION 3: THIS BUDGET WILL THEN BECOME EFFECTIVE ON AUGUST 1 FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. 

ARTICLE TO BE CHANGED:

CURRENT:               

                                 ARTICLE VII – NOTICES

SECTION 1.: EVERY MEMBER SHALL FURNISH THE POST ADJUTANT WITH HIS OR HER CURRENT ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER.

CHANGE:

                     ARTICLE VII – NOTICES

SECTION 1: EVERY MEMBER SHALL FURNISH THE POST ADJUTANT WITH HIS OR HER CURRENT HOME ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, EMAIL ADDRESS AND A COPY OF THEIR DD-214 OR EQUIVALENT.

SECTION 2: NO NEW MEMBERSHIP OR TRANSFER REQUEST WILL BE PROCESSED UNTIL THE DD-214 OR EQUIVANENT HAS BEEN RECEIVED TO VERIFY THE VETERAN’S MILITARY SERVICE. FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES THAT ONE (1) DAY ACTIVE DUTY IS REQUIRED TO JOIN THE AMERICAN LEGION. THIS WILL VERIFY THE VETERANS’ REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN MET AND HELP WITH MILITARY HONORS AT VETERANS DEMISE.

THESE TWO CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS ARE READ TONIGHT AT THE AUGUST GENERAL MEETING AND POSTED IN THE NEWSLETTER STARTING IN SEPTEMBER 2026 AND AGAIN IN OCTOBER 2026. THIS IS TO ENSURE THAT 10 DAY REQUIREMENT IS MET AND THEY WILL BE VOTED ON AT NOVEMBER GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING 2026 NEEDING 2/3 MAJORITY TO PASS.

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NOTIFICATION FROM THE NOMINATTING COMMITTEE

I HAVE RECEIVED AND NOTIFIED THE EC OF THE EMAIL FROM STACY MILLER. STACY IS RESIGNING ON THE EC BECAUSE OF HIS HEALTH. STACY HAS BEEN A LONG TIME MEMBER AND PAST COMMANDER OF POST 16. PLEASE KEEP HIM IN YOUR PRAYERS AS HE IS GOING THROUGH A ROUGH TIME RIGHT NOW.

BYLAWS ARTICLE 2 SECTION 3 GIVE THE PROCECURE FOR A VACANCY.

ALSO, ARTICLE III SECTION 4 STATES ALL VACANCIES OCCURRING ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SHALL BE FILLED BY A VOTE OF THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP AFTER NOTIFING THE MEMBER BY WAY OF POST NEWSLETTER. SAID TERM TO EXPIRE AT THE SAME TIME OF OTHER OFFICERS. TO ENABLE MEMBERSHIP TO ELECT ALL OFFICERS.

THEREFORE, A VACANCY EXIST FOR THE EC, THE TERM WILL BE A TWO YEAR TO END IN 2028 AS STACY WAS ELECTED FOR THE TWO-YEAR TERM ON THE EC.

THIS WAS COMMUNICATED TO THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP AT THE AUGUST 2026 MEETING. GARY SONGY EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE POSITION. ANY ONE ELSE INTERESTED PLEASE NOTIFY MYSELF OR A MEMBER OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE. THIS WILL BE POSTED IN THE SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER NEWSLETTER WITH THE ELECTION TO TAKE PLACE AT THE NOVEMBER GENERAL MEMBERSHIP.

GARY SONGY HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO THE POSITION TEMPORARY BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE UNTILL THE ELECTION IN NOVEMBER. 

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Till next month