South-central Kentucky lawmakers are again pushing the state to provide matching funds for a veterans nursing home in Warren County.
A bi-partisan group of legislators from southern Kentucky tried and failed to get $10.5 million in state support during this year’s General Assembly. The federal government has pledged to kick in between $20 million and $30 million if Kentucky lawmakers provide money for the effort.
Warren County Republican Rep. Jim DeCesare is co-sponsoring a bill for next year’s legislature. He says a lot of pieces are already in place to make the veterans nursing home a reality.
"The property has been donated, the veterans groups have met with the folks in Washington D.C., they've met with the folks in Frankfort. So they've got broad support from not only the state entities, but also the federal entities."
The Kentucky Trimodal Transpark in Warren County has donated nearly 20 acres of land for the project.
DeCesare says the funding effort was defeated during the recent General Assembly by a small group of lawmakers who wanted a veterans nursing home in their own region.
He says the Bowling Green veterans home will be move up the federal priority list if state lawmakers act next year.
“We're on the needs list, but we're not on the funded list. So we're stuck down in the weeds right now until we pass this legislation. We'll go up probably 50 spots once that legislation's passed."
The state currently has three nursing facilities for veterans in Hopkins, Jessamine, and Perry counties. A fourth is scheduled to open this summer in Hardin County.
Edmonson County Republican Rep. Mike Meredith is the chief sponsor of the Bowling Green veterans home legislation.
