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Washington veterans agency outlines Tri‑Cities cemetery plan, Spokane home replacement and budget cuts
Summary
David Puente, director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, updated the committee on a proposed Tri‑Cities state veterans cemetery, the Spokane Veterans Home replacement project, and agency budget reductions that have reduced outreach and counseling capacity.
David Puente, director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, briefed the Joint Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs on three linked items: a proposed state veterans cemetery to serve the Tri‑Cities region, progress on a replacement Spokane Veterans Home, and the impacts of recent agency budget reductions.
Puente said the federal Department of Veterans Affairs identified a 75‑mile radius in which a new state cemetery would improve access for veterans; WDVA’s feasibility work estimates the site could serve about 46,000 veterans and yield roughly 400 internments annually. He said the federal VA will fund a large share of startup costs (Puente described an initial federal share of up to 90% with later reimbursement of the state match) and that the…
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