The Feb. 4 editorial "Don't lighten elders' income tax load" asserted that Minnesotans should reject military pension tax exemptions for retired service members because it goes against "the heart of shared citizen responsibility for this state." As the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Division in the Minnesota House, and as an advocate for all taxpayers in Minnesota, I think it's important to take a broader look into this issue.

First, I am chief author of a bill allowing a subtraction from military retirees' taxable income of $1,500 per year of service up to 20 years, for a maximum of $30,000 not considered as taxable income. Similar bills with varying exemptions for military retirement income have been introduced in both the House and Senate.

The Star Tribune Editorial Board suggests that a bill like mine exempting veteran pension income would not bring more military retirees to Minnesota and that it also would harm millennial taxpayers. Both points can be disputed.

First, from an economic standpoint, exempting military retirement pay makes a lot of sense. There has not been a fiscal cost calculated for my bill yet, but the Star Tribune claims a $25 million number from similar legislation introduced in previous sessions. Currently, Minnesota has around 370,000 veterans, 4.7 percent of whom are retired.

While millions from the state treasury in the form of tax exemptions would appear to be an expense to state government, that is only short-term thinking; it ignores the long-term impact.

For instance, our neighbor Wisconsin is one of 15 states to fully exclude taxable military retirement income. In 2013, according to data from the Department of Defense, $51 million more in such income flowed into Wisconsin's economy than into Minnesota's. That figure was aided by Wisconsin's tax exemption for retired, second-career military members. It represents hundreds of millions of dollars over the past decade that Minnesota has lost out on.

Moreover, it's important to remember that many people who have retired from the military are in their 40s, ready to start a second career. The military supplies a list of veteran-friendly states to people leaving the armed services, and it's unfortunate that our state is not on that list, sending many veterans with ties to Minnesota elsewhere.

Making Minnesota a more attractive prospect to return home to after service would mean that veterans would be buying homes here, paying income taxes here, sending their kids to college here and bringing their federal benefits with them. But if that's not enough, retired military members also bring a unique set of skills that are an asset to employers and our communities.

What's more, with Iowa implementing a full military retirement pension exemption in 2014, there's another strong incentive for Minnesota to remain competitive. Only six states in the union offer no exemption for military retirement income, and the only reason our state isn't on that shortlist is because since 2009 we have offered a $750 tax credit for military retirement income and disabled veterans. However, that is completely phased out for those with an adjusted gross income of just $37,500.

Next, saying (as the editorial does) that it's a costly disservice to millennials to exempt any military retirement pay discounts how many millennials have served or are serving in our armed forces. Many of Minnesota's brave young servicemen and women volunteered to protect our freedoms around the world after 9/11, and I think most people would like to see them return home to become contributing civilians once again. With the oldest millennials born in 1980, those serving long military careers will be nearing 20 years of service by the end of the decade. It's a no-brainer that we want these hardworking, dedicated Americans back in our state.

So when the Editorial Board claims that we must reject military pension tax exemptions because it goes against "the heart of shared citizen responsibility for this state," I would like to remind everyone that it is first the duty of the state to serve its citizens, and that includes those who have sacrificed years of their lives to defend our great nation across the globe.

Bob Dettmer, R-Forest Lake, is a member of the Minnesota House and a retired member (chief warrant officer 4) of the U.S. Army Reserve.