A major topic of concern and speculation has been the creation of a stable funding source for our veterans homes throughout Missouri. Our veterans are true patriots who embody the American Spirit and who have sacrificed much to ensure that we live in this land of liberty. It is our responsibility to assure them of proper care when the need arises.
Last week the House passed legislation meant to provide this funding source for the state’s seven veterans homes, which are currently in desperate need of additional funds. The bill we approved would dedicate more of the state’s lottery prize money to education, which would in turn free up funding generated by casino entrance fees to be used for the state’s veterans homes. This change could generate as much as $30 million to help keep the existing seven homes open and potentially build an eighth home in the future.
HB 1731 would change the disbursement of lottery prize money so that 31.5 percent goes to education. Under current law, education receives 27 percent of lottery money. The change would provide approximately $35 million in funding to early childhood education – an increase of slightly more than $4 million. By drawing funding for early childhood education from lottery prize money, the current funding source derived from the existing casino entrance fee would be freed up to help maintain the state’s veterans homes. The change would reduce the amount of prize money going back to lottery winners from 63 cents of every dollar to 59.5 cents.
This solution allows us to provide a stable funding source for our veterans homes and even allows us to increase funding to early childhood education and the Missouri National Guard Trust Fund. The best part is this proposal does it without any kind of increase in entrance fees or taxes. This funding will let us keep our current veterans homes open and realistically look at another home to provide more bed space to accommodate some of those 1,600 veterans that are currently on the waiting list.
Another bill approved last week would create a period of tax amnesty for those who have yet to pay their tax bills. Our state has done this twice in the last decade to help the Department of Revenue collect overdue taxes from individuals and businesses. This amnesty program brought $74 million in tax revenues in 2004 and $42 million the next year. House Bill 1030 would waive interest and penalties for those who pay their tax bills between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31. By offering this amnesty program, we could generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue which would make the task off balancing our state budget that much easier and allow us to sustain funding to vital programs that might otherwise suffer cuts.
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 401B State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
No comments:
Post a Comment