Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Sunday, August 03, 2008

Kind pushes disaster tax relief bill

By CHRIS HUBBUCH / La Crosse Tribune

As Congress headed into its summer break, Rep. Ron Kind touted the success of three bills he authored, while his Republican rival criticized his vote to recess.

Two pieces of Kind’s legislation headed to the president’s desk, and a disaster relief tax bill was introduced this week to the House’s Ways and Means Committee.

The newest bill would provide disaster relief in the form of tax credits for people affected by floods, tornadoes and other events resulting in a presidential disaster declaration.

Kind, a La Crosse Democrat, said the bill came about after talking to Wisconsin business owners hit by floods in the past year, as well as others around the nation. While the Small Business Administration offers low-interest loans to help businesses rebuild, many can’t afford the debt. This bill would allow them, as well as individuals, to recoup more of their disaster expenses from their taxes.

The measure would cost an estimated $13.5 billion during the next decade. Kind said he is still negotiating a way to pay for it — either by making cuts or closing tax loopholes.

A second bill, which the Senate passed on Friday, would protect benefits for “sole survivor” veterans who are discharged because their siblings have died in combat.

While it affects only a small number of people, “it was the right thing to do,” Kind said.

Kind’s “real-time writers” legislation, introduced last year, was folded into the update of the Higher Education Act, which cleared the House in February and the Senate on Friday.

The provision would provide grants for schools to train court reporters, who are in short supply. It would also offer scholarships to steer more people into the profession.

Transcriptionists are also in demand by the TV industry, which is mandated to provide closed-captioning for all programs.

Congress is in recess until Sept. 8.

Paul Stark, Kind’s Republican challenger in the fall election, issued a statement Friday criticizing Kind for his vote to adjourn, saying he should have stayed in Washington and worked on legislation “to drill for American oil.”

Chris Hubbuch can be reached at (608) 791-8217 or chubbuch@lacrossetribune.com.