The Governor Just Vetoed $6 Million for a Veterans Home

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 26th, 2023

CONTACT
hadley@montanademocrats.org

(It’s The Same Veterans Home He Visited for a Photo-Op Back in 2021)

Helena, MT – In what might be his cruelest veto yet, Governor Gianforte killed funding for 12 new veterans’ beds at the Southwest Veterans Home, just days before Memorial Weekend. With this line-item veto in the state’s long range building appropriations bill, HB5, the Governor vetoed the $6 million that legislators had allocated to build a cottage at the Butte facility. 

“Governor Gianforte can find the money to fork over cushy tax handouts to his wealthy and well-connected friends but somehow, he cannot find the compassion or the money to provide housing for Montana’s veterans?” asks Sheila Hogan, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Shameless, senseless, and cruel.” 

Montana has one of the highest per-capita populations of veterans in the entire country. Nearly half of the 92,000 veterans in our state are 65 or older, and 30% have disabilities. The Montana VA Health Care System has reported a 56.4% increase in Montana Veterans experiencing homelessness, between 2021 and 2022. 

Governor Gianforte spoke at the opening of the Southwest Veterans Home when it opened in 2021. That didn’t stop him from vetoing critical funding for 12 additional beds.  

In response to the Governor’s line-item veto, Butte Senator Ryan Lynch released the following statement: 

“The Governor, with great haste, signed legislation that gave himself and his rich friends nearly a billion in tax breaks this session. But he turns around just days before Memorial Day and vetoes $6 million for our veterans to build the last cottage and complete the Southwest Montana Veterans Home in Butte. And it’s not because the state doesn’t have the money. The Governor has grown the state budget by almost $2 billion and has the audacity to call that ‘conservative.’ His priorities and decisions are completely out of touch with most Montanans. 

“Veterans should reach out to their local legislators and ask that they exercise their authority and override this terrible decision from the Governor.”

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