Funding increase possible for Missouri veterans services

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The chairman of the House committee that oversees the budget for the state veterans' commission says he's committed to finding more state funding to help run the state's veterans homes and to start construction of two more.

Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia, said Wednesday that more needs to be done to help the commission with its funding. The commission has been dipping into its reserves for years. Commission director Brig. Gen. Larry Kay told the House Appropriations Committee for Public Safety and Corrections that his commission could subsist on $13.3 million per year.

Members of Kelly's committee and representatives of veterans groups who spoke to the committee said the commission faces a waiting list of 1,600 veterans waiting for bed space in homes. Kay told the committee that with an annual outlay of $45 million to $50 million a year, the commission could start planning and construction of two 150-bed homes.

Members of Kelly's committee suggested several options including a lottery game, and a dedicated one-eighth-cent sales tax that would bring in about $80 million a year that expire in 10 years and revert to a one-tenth-cent sales tax.

After the hearing, Kelly was not ready to commit to any option but said state leaders and citizens are firmly behind veterans and money could be found somewhere in the upcoming state budget.

"There's such a huge commitment in the legislature and in the executive to solving the problem," Kelly said. "I think we're going to find the solution."