Bailout sought for veterans' fund

If Gov. Jim Doyle proposed it, Republicans would no doubt call it a raid on the Veterans Home fund, but Gary Fisher reports there is legislation about to be introduced to transfer up to $16-million from the King Veterans Home to the state's veterans trust fund. There's no ready explanation, as yet, as to why the King home has such a big surplus, or whether it will wish it had that money some day in the future. Here's the WDVA memo on the bill.

Gary Fisher's report:

A significant transfer of cash -- up to $16 million in surplus funds -- from the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King (Waupaca County) to the Wisconsin Veterans Trust Fund is being proposed to keep the trust fund in the black, according to draft legislation in the works at the state Capitol.

Computations last year indicated the state fund that supports grant and loan programs for Wisconsin veterans and sustains the Wisconsin Veterans Museum would run out of money by mid-2007.

State Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, Speaker John Gard and Reps. Terry Musser, Bob Turner and Gabe Loeffelholz, are seeking co-sponsors for LRB-4498/3 and LRB-4475/7, which includes the money transfer to help keep the trust fund solvent.

The Veterans Trust Fund, which also pays some of the state Department of Veterans Affairs' administrative costs, historically has been supported through interest payments made on a multiplicity of loans to veterans.

The "Veterans Spring Package" also addresses eligibility for the veterans' tuition reduction that is in the 2005-2007 state budget.

In addition, the legislation that's currently circulating in the Capitol would:

--Beef up the information technology staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

--Expand UW and technical college tuition discounts from 50 percent to 100 percent.

--Allow resident veterans who received their disability rating while processing out of the military to still qualify for a reduction in tuition. According to an interpretation of current law a veteran must receive the original disability rating notification from the federal VA at a Wisconsin residence.

"While it is not common, we are aware of situations where a veteran received his or her service-connected disability rating while processing out of the military at an out of state base, just prior to returning to Wisconsin. This provision would eliminate the requirement that the disability notification letter be addressed to the veteran in Wisconsin," the proposed legislation says.

--Allow the family of a veteran who died as a result of a service-connected disability to be eligible for tuition breaks.

The next meeting of the Veterans Affairs Board is Feb. 21-22 at the state Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters in Madison. Tuesday of that week it's Salute to the Legislature, a yearly event at Monona Terrace sponsored by veterans' groups.

Meanwhile, board member Kathy Marschman, whose term ended May 1, 2005, still stands in the way of Rod Moen stepping in to succeed her on the board. And it doesn't look like Republican Senate Majority Leader Dale Schultz is scheduling a floor vote on Moen's confirmation any time soon Gov. Jim Doyle appointed Moen last year to serve a six-year term, but Marschman has refused to resign even though her term ended, so Moen can't take the seat until the Republican State Senate confirms him, which it seems unwilling to do.

UPDATE: Gary Fisher asked DVA, "please explain why there's a surplus in the King Home fund?" Replies Andrew (Andy) Schuster, WDVA Public Affairs Director: "This in regard to requests you made earlier today to departmental staff relative to King Home funds. The questions raised will need to be more specific in order to be able to provide a response."

Oh. Right.