Funds for vets home clear budget panel

A legislative panel on Thursday endorsed Gov. Asa Hutchinson's request to transfer $750,000 in rainy-day funds to the state Department of Veterans Affairs for repairs and maintenance for the veterans home in Fayetteville.

The Joint Budget Committee's Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review Subcommittee recommended the full budget committee approve the request.

State Veterans Affairs agency Director Nate Todd indicated the department needs to buy beds and furniture and to enhance the facility, which hasn't seen any improvements since 2006, said Kathy Schmidt, senior legislative analyst for the Bureau of Legislative Research.

"When the governor toured the facility mid last year, he had seen the disrepair and some items that needed to be replaced and he had made that commitment to the home to do that," said Andrew Branch, the department's chief financial officer. He said the home was getting to a critical point in which if another bed breaks, "we don't have enough beds for residents."

"We have 108 beds authorized, but we usually run in the mid-80s as far as number of residents," he said. "I think [the problems have] been known for probably several years. They just didn't have expected funding to pay for it so they didn't make the request [in the budget]."

Duncan Baird, the state's budget administrator, said it is a one-time funding need that is separate from the facility's operating budget.

-- Michael R. Wickline

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