Conferees deadlock on funding source for veterans' home salaries; decision deferred

Conference committee members reviewing Senate Bill 02/2007 on funding for a state veterans' home left the issue unresolved and adjourned without a final agreement.

Representative Anderson, speaking for the House conferees, said the House proposal would move the salary and health‑insurance costs onto the general fund after the Senate had proposed keeping them on the facility’s special funds. Anderson said the facility expects to need a major replacement of its geothermal heating system “which is going to cost them several millions of dollars to replace that heating system.”

The disagreement centered on whether the home’s payroll lines should be carved out of the state’s…