A Moment with Mike for April 9th

Even though war or military action is not always popular we have a lot of respect for those men and women who have served our country so nobly and sacrificed much so that we might have the privilege of living in the land of the free.
As a legislature we have worked diligently to honor the sacrifices made by our veterans. We have created medallion programs to recognize veterans for their courage and service and we have worked to make sure veterans are aware of and able to receive the benefits to which they are entitled. We continue to work to ensure they are not taxed on the military retirement benefits they have earned, however, there are still needs to be taken care of for these deserving citizens.
Late last year a special committee charged with assessing the needs of our veterans traveled around the state to conduct a series of hearings. They found that the veterans’ homes that provide critical services to our veterans are not able to serve all those in need. Estimates have as many as 1,000 veterans on waiting lists to get into these homes. That number is expected to grow as more veterans return from Iraq and our Vietnam Veteran population continues to age. More veteran’s homes are needed and finding a way to fund these additional homes is crucial.
Our Missouri Veterans commission has struggled since 1999 to find adequate funding to staff the current homes we have in operation. This struggle is the result of a change that was made to how the Missouri Gaming Commission Fund is distributed. Legislation passed in 1998 allocated all of the excess funds to early childhood education and gave the Missouri Veterans Commission Capital Improvement Trust Fund only $3 million annually. At the time, veterans graciously agreed to split the funding but ended up with less than they anticipated. This could be legislatively changed back but do we want to take money away from those very important early childhood programs.
One proposal that was supported by our veterans and has received some consideration in the legislature is to create a dedicated sales tax to provide the needed funding. This idea is currently in the form of a proposed constitutional amendment (HJR 71) that would create a 1/8-cent sales tax. Of course, should the legislation be approved by the General Assembly it would also have to be approved by you, the voters of Missouri. If approved, the sales tax would generate approximately $80 million in revenue to be used to create six new facilities throughout the state.
I am proud of the many things that the Missouri General Assembly has accomplished over the last several years without a tax increase. This is a worthy cause, however, and would be ultimately decided by the people of Missouri. Regardless of what avenue we pursue, it is imperative the funding source we settle on provides long-term financial stability for our veterans and their facilities. We have an obligation to meet the needs of these patriots who selflessly risked their lives in defense of our nation.
If you have questions, you may reach me at my Capitol number 573-751-9465, at the local district number, 660-582-4014, by email at mike.thomson@house.mo.gov or by mail at Room 406A State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.