Missouri state Rep. Dave Griffith introduced a bill asking voters to approve giving veterans programs half of the $400 million the state receives in
annual gaming revenue, including from the lottery. Observers said the proposal, which would move $200 million a year from education to veterans, is like to face strong opposition from educators and schools.
But Griffith said, “It solves our problems with the veterans’ homes, it solves our problems with the cemeteries, but more than anything else it solves a lot of problems for our veterans.”
Currently the Missouri Veterans Commission is funded by a $2 charge for every person who visits one of the state’s casinos, paid for by casino owners. That tax generated $26.7 million to the Veterans Commission in 2014, but that total fell to $19 million in 2019, the last full year before Covid-19 closures further reduced attendance. Annual efforts to increase the fee by $1 or $2 per gambler have failed.
According to the Veterans Commission, the seven state-run veterans’ homes are half full because the homes pay less for comparable positions at other nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Governor Mike Parson recently requested a pay raise for all state workers, which would include nurses and other state employees at the veterans’ homes.
But Griffith said the state needs to make a larger commitment to veterans. “We need to have a line item in the budget where we can have a revenue stream we know is going to be dependable each and every year,” he said.
