Sen. Miller Bill for Addition Funding for Veterans Homes Moving Through Senate

Senator Miller and Fillmore County Veterans Services Officer Jason Marquardt testify on behalf of the bill. Photo: Senator Jeremy Miller’s office

(KWNO)-A bill authored by Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller is working its way through the state senate.  

Legislation that would fully fund the construction of veterans homes in Preston, Bemidji and Montevideo passed out of the Senate Veterans Committee and is bound for the Senate Finance Committee. The project was signed into law as part of the 2018 bonding bill. 

Miller says building costs have risen since the project was approved.   

“With COVID and everything else the original costs for those projects have increased,” Miller said. “As a result, we were able to pass a bill out of the Senate Veterans Committee to basically fully pay the costs for those veterans homes.”  

The bill calls for an additional $6.9 million for the Preston home, $4.35 million for the Bemidji home, and $5.27 million for the Montevideo location. Miller was among lawmakers to attend the groundbreaking of the Preston home last summer.