JEFFERSON CITY — Groups that advocate for military veterans in Missouri are considering asking state lawmakers to double the admission fee at casinos in order to tackle a wide range of financial issues facing the state’s nursing homes for former troops.
Tom Mundell, who oversees the , told the Monday that boosting the casino entry fee to $4, up from $2, could address staffing shortages that are plaguing the seven nursing homes operated by the state.
Mundell also said he wants to make sure any potential legalization of marijuana doesn’t interrupt the flow of money from the sale of medical marijuana, some of which is earmarked for the veterans homes.
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The flow of money from the medical marijuana program has been sluggish. The state has paid out more than $6.7 million in legal fees to defend an avalanche of lawsuits filed by companies that were not awarded licenses to sell, grow or transport pot.
The $6.7 million price tag rivals the $6.8 million the medical marijuana program transferred to the Missouri Veterans Commission in September.
“That’s a streaming source we need. We have to find some permanent solutions to take care of the problems we have,†Mundell said.
Like other state agencies, the veterans commission is facing high turnover rates tied to low wages.
“Our vacancies are definitely up,†Paul Imhoff, MVC human resources director, told members of the commission Monday.
During the most recent fiscal year, there was a 91% turnover rate for support care staff. Registered nurses left at a 75% clip.
“That’s a pretty significant jump,†said Sen. , a Creve Coeur Democrat who sits on the commission.
The lack of staff has meant higher overtime for existing workers, as well as limits on how many veterans can be admitted to the nursing facilities.
Staff burnout is a problem, said Paul Kirchhoff, MVC executive director.
“We have to take care of our staff. We’re walking a fine line,†Kirchhoff said.
The commission oversees a network of nursing homes that has the capacity to care for 1,200 residents. But, because of the lack of workers, only 700 beds are currently occupied.
“We need to do everything we can to make staffing available at these homes,†said Kelly McClelland, MVC chairman. “We need to keep on top of it. This is our mission.â€
The state’s casino entrance fee has not been increased since it was imposed in 1994.
In 2019, Sen. , R-Jefferson City, introduced legislation to raise the fee by $1 to help pay for a new museum in the capital city featuring riverboats. The proposal would have generated an estimated $39.7 million annually.
The increase, however, did not advance in the Legislature.
In 2012, a proposal by former Gov. Jay Nixon to increase the fee by $1 to help the veterans commission was rejected by then-House Speaker Steve Tilley, who called the fee a “tax.â€
Gamblers aren’t charged the fee. Casinos absorb it as part of their business model.
Employee turnover is plaguing state government operations. The Missouri Department of Transportation, for example, is seeking $70 million in the next budget to hire workers. The Department of Mental Health has signed contracts with at least six temporary staffing companies to supply clinical social workers at its facilities.