Two bus loads of Missouri veterans arrived at the Missouri State Capitol on Tuesday to rally for the Missouri Association of Veterans Organizations' 2025 legislative agenda.
The main priority for MAVO is the full funding of the Missouri Veterans Commission. This funding is used for services including improvements of state veterans homes, state cemeteries, veterans service officers and veteran grant programs.
Since fiscal year 2020, MVC has required additional short-term funding from the state. MAVO Vice Chair Gary Grigsby said the veterans commission is in need of a long-term fix.
"Our primary goal is to make sure that the Missouri Veterans Commission is there and has enough money to support our veterans," Grigsby said.
MVC is currently funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Missouri Gaming Commission and the Missouri Veterans Health and Care Fund.
The MVC previously received funding from Missouri's general revenue.
"They have taken us out of the budget with the idea that the casinos were going to give us all of the funding that we needed," Grigsby said. "Casino funding has decreased for Missouri Veterans Commissions."
Daniel Verslues is a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and participated in Tuesday's rally. He said he chose to attend so he could make a change for veterans.
"For me I think it's a disgrace to our country that we have veterans living in the streets and dying," Verslues said. "They sacrificed for us."
The veterans lobbied at the Missouri State Capitol for other changes as well.
House Joint Resolution 6/Senate Joint Resolution 46 would authorize a property tax exemption for veterans with a 100% disability rating. The current tax exemption is for veterans who have a 100% disability rating and are former prisoners of war. The proposed changes would allow veterans with a 100% disability rating or veterans who are former prisoners of war to be exempt.
Senate Bill 300 would prohibit compensation for helping veterans receive veterans benefits. This would ensure that Missouri veterans receive all compensation they earned through their service and ban "claim sharks."
House Joint Resolution 7 proposes a division of state revenues from gaming between education and MVC to allocate 10% of the fund to MVC by mid-2027.
