Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation redirecting casino fees to nursing homes for military veterans.
The legislation signed into law Wednesday provides a dedicated funding stream for the state's seven nursing homes that serve about 1,300 veterans.
Casinos already pay a per-person fee to the state. Most of that money has gone to early childhood programs. But the new law redirects the bulk of those fees to veterans homes.
Supporters say the homes need a permanent funding stream because their trust fund has repeatedly been tapped in recent years to offset cuts in general revenue appropriations.
The bill is the first to be signed by Nixon since the Legislature ended its work May 18.
