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Health & Fitness

House Passes Lottery Ticket Bill to Fund Veterans' Homes

To provide a new funding source for veterans’ homes, cemeteries, and outreach programs in Missouri, the House of Representatives approved HJR 48 this week with a vote of 132 to 10.

This bill, which I co-sponsored, proposes a change to the Missouri Constitution that, if approved by voters, would require the State Lottery Commission to develop and sell a Veterans Lottery Ticket by July 2015. The funds raised through the sale of this ticket would be dedicated to the Veterans’ Commission Capital Improvement Trust Fund, which supports the seven veterans’ homes in our state.

Veterans’ homes currently provide services to 1,350 residents, but there are another 1,800 veterans in need of skilled nursing care that are waiting for admission because the homes have been chronically underfunded. With the money from the lottery ticket, more veterans will be able to obtain the support and services they need. This funding will also be allocated to veterans’ cemeteries and outreach efforts that help veterans access the benefits available to them.

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We all owe the brave men and women who have defended our rights and freedoms an enormous debt of gratitude. As a legislature, we must do everything in our power to provide the funds necessary to support those who have laid their lives on the line.

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