How much would veterans' bills cost?
Patrick Buffkin, a legislative analyst with Nelson Mullins in Raleigh, said the veterans groups he works with are being careful to push for bills that don't have a high price tag.
The three top priorities — studying traumatic brain injury, extending a tax exemption on military pensions and creating a Cabinet-level veterans post — are not expensive, though the exemption would cut some state income tax revenue.
"The Veterans Council sets their agenda not based on just what they want but also what is feasible," he said. "We understand that the state's facing a serious budget crunch. We've looked for ideas that will make a difference in veterans' lives, but also not cost a lot of money."
The other bills being pushed by legislators are also relatively minor, he said.
In recent years, he said the N.C. Veterans Council has gotten funding set aside for two new veterans nursing homes, helped raise the homestead tax exemption for disabled veterans and reserved a position for a veteran on the State Personnel Commission.
