Missouri
Missouri veterans homes struggle year after year without consistent funding
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) — Missouri is constantly on the brink of losing a veterans home because funding can vary from year to year.
One lawmaker is sounding the alarm on funding for Missouri’s veterans homes, saying the taxes the states rely on for these specialized care facilities are not dependable. The Missouri Veterans Commission relies on marijuana tax revenue and casino admission fees but has no set line in the state budget if these two avenues falter.
Before he represented Jefferson City in the Missouri House, Dave Griffith was a Green Beret.
Now he’s fighting a different battle: to keep Missouri’s veterans homes open and operational.
“These are veterans that we made a promise to,” Griffith said. “When we raise our hands as veterans, we make a pledge to our country to protect and serve. At the same time, the country made a pledge to us. That when you get to this point in your life, when you need skilled nursing services, we’re going to be there for you. And we’re failing them.”
Missouri’s seven veterans homes are currently serving 848 veterans, and almost all of them have waitlists. They offer specialized services, from haircuts to physical therapy, at a partially subsidized rate for veterans who can no longer care for themselves.
“Age is not a determining factor, we have everything from 40s up to, we’ve got a veteran who was in the Battle of the Bulge, so I think he’s 103 years old right now,” said Missouri Veterans Commissioner Director Ret. Col. Paul Kirchhoff.
It’s a fight every year to ensure funding since there is no permanent line item in the state budget for veterans homes. Kirchhoff said before the funds were secured this year, the commission had been deferring critical maintenance on some of the homes and even discussing which one they could afford to close.
“A lot of businesses have a 5-year plan, 10-year plan, I can’t do it because I don’t know what kind of funding I’m going to get year to year,” Kirchhoff said.
A portion of the tax revenue from both medical and recreational marijuana goes to the Missouri Veterans Commission. Missouri Cannabis Trade Association Spokesperson Erin Schrimpf said marijuana has been selling at three times the rate expected before legalization. She said the industry expects it will continue to thrive and provide the state with ample sales tax.
“Missouri’s regulated market is thriving and has a lot of support,” Schrimpf said.
The Veterans Commission received nearly $34 million from marijuana taxes this fiscal year, but that’s not the bonus people thought it would be. It’s just enough to maintain veterans homes.
“A lot of people think that with the marijuana funding that there could be additional programs that we could start, that’s just not the case,” Kirchhoff said.
The amount veterans homes receive from casino admissions has been decreasing steadily, from $30 million in 2013, to $11 million in 2023, which is the last full fiscal year the Missouri Gaming Commission has reported. Although casinos in Missouri are reporting increased revenue, they’re getting less foot traffic and the admissions fees stay the same.
Griffith wants to get a new line item in the budget, $50 million in general revenue for veterans homes. He only has one year left in office, but expects his colleagues to carry on the battle after he’s gone.
“It’s a battle that I’m not afraid to fight, and I will continue that battle until I have to walk out of this building,” Griffith said.
Copyright 2025 KMOV. All rights reserved.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KFVS) – It’s been a little over one week since Missouri’s lawmakers called it quits for the year, but that doesn’t mean they’re all happy with what was accomplished, or what was not accomplished.
Artificial intelligence continues to spread into every area of our lives, and it’s largely unchecked by government regulations.
In Missouri, 100 bills were passed this year, but none of them regulate the use of artificial intelligence. Over a dozen ideas on how to regulate AI were presented by lawmakers, but all the bills died before the end of the regular legislative session.
State lawmakers cannot explore AI or data center regulations again until the new legislative session starts in January 2027.
AI regulations are popular with Missouri voters. Only 16% of Missouri voters polled by YouGov and SLU believe recent AI innovations had a positive effect on society. Regulating artificial intelligence is also popular with both parties.
Bolivar Republican Rep. Christopher Warwick wants to see protections for children.
“My heart is is to make sure that we’re protecting our kids. We want to protect Missourians in general, but when the AI starts affecting our kids,” Warwick said.
While St. Louis Democratic Sen. Doug Beck says we need to make it clear what is and isn’t AI.
“That can be very scary, and some of the things they can do with it, you don’t know what’s real and what isn’t real,” Beck said.
The explosion of AI is leading to more and more data centers, including many projects here in Missouri. Though many in Missouri are currently fighting to keep data centers from their neighborhoods, their growth is something Gov. Mike Kehoe appreciates.
“As President Trump said, AI is the space race of our time. And certainly Missouri wants to be involved in that race and wants to continue to lead,” Kehoe said at an event in Montgomery County to celebrate a new Google data center.
President Trump issued an executive order telling states to rely on federal AI regulations, but Congress is on a summer vacation without having passed any AI bills.
The executive order President Trump put out says funding for rural broadband could be at risk if state lawmakers don’t align with his plan. A Utah lawmaker was told by the Trump administration that his bill doesn’t fit into their AI plan.
The executive order reads, “United States AI companies must be free to innovate without cumbersome regulation. But excessive State regulation thwarts this imperative. First, State-by-State regulation by definition creates a patchwork of 50 different regulatory regimes that makes compliance more challenging, particularly for start-ups.”
Copyright 2026 KFVS. All rights reserved.
-
Crypto58 seconds agoSharplink and Forward Enter Russell Indexes With $2.3B in Crypto Holdings
-
Finance7 minutes agoEfficient Capital Markets Can Unlock Africa’s Domestic Savings
-
Fitness13 minutes agoThis equipment-free workout is designed to be done at your desk to build strength and muscle
-
Movie Reviews25 minutes ago‘Backrooms’ Review: Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve Get Lost in A24’s Creepy but Underbaked Liminal Horror
-
World37 minutes agoA Spring Heat Wave Is Breaking Records in the U.K., Spain and France
-
News43 minutes agoVideo: The Two Issues That Could Swing This District
-
Science1 hour agoVideo: Fireball Falls From Space Over Erupting Volcano in the Philippines
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoTravel to Italy and Algeria in these two brilliant, translated mysteries
