Missouri to renew legal battle over base cuts

ST. LOUIS -- Gov. Matt Blunt on Friday directed Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon to resume the state's legal challenge to the federal government's plan to close an Air National Guard base in St. Louis and other military installations.

"I have not stopped fighting for the facilities that were inappropriately recommended for closure or realignment, and I will continue to do all I can to protect these installations," Blunt said.

A spokesman for Nixon did not return a phone call seeking comment.

On Sept. 8, the U.S. Supreme Court and the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis both rejected appeals filed by Nixon seeking to keep the 131st Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard at Lambert Airport in St. Louis. Illinois and New Jersey also lost emergency appeals aimed at stopping the Base Closure and Realignment Commission from submitting its recommendations to the White House.

The Pentagon plans to move fighter jets from the 131st Fighter Wing to bases in Nevada and Montana.

Closing the 131st Fighter Wing would cost the St. Louis area about 250 jobs, and Missouri officials claim it would jeopardize national security by leaving the Midwest without adequate air defenses.

"It is imperative that we do everything we can to ensure our ability to protect ourselves from threats to our state and the 131st is vital to that mission," Blunt wrote in his letter to Nixon.

Overall, Missouri stands to lose more than 3,000 jobs in the BRAC process, mostly from the proposed closure of three military accounting and finance offices in St. Louis and Kansas City.

President Bush on Thursday endorsed and sent to Congress the BRAC commission's plan to close 22 major military bases and reconfigure 33 others. It is the first consolidation of bases since 1995.

The plan will become final in 45 days unless Congress acts to reject it in full.

The commission said its recommendations would mean annual savings of $4.2 billion, compared with $5.4 billion under the plan it received in May from Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld had recommended closing 33 major bases and realigning 29 others, but the commission decided after a series of hearing to modify his plan.