Davis Signs Bills To Build Five Veterans Homes in Southern California

Gov. Gray Davis (D) yesterday signed into law two bills that authorize the construction of five new veterans homes, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Although voters approved a $50 million bond to build the new veterans homes in March 2000, "political opposition" stalled construction (San Francisco Chronicle, 8/15). The first bill (SB 1234), sponsored by Sen. Maurice Johannessen (R-Redding), authorizes the sale of $62 million in lease revenue bonds to build veterans homes in Fresno and Redding. The second bill (AB 2559), sponsored by Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson (D-Culver City), authorizes the construction of veterans homes in West Los Angeles and Lancaster in Los Angeles County and Saticoy in Ventura County (California Healthline, 8/2). The new facilities, which will add 1,200 new beds for the state's three million veterans, will cost the state about $112 million, or about 35% of the total. The federal government will cover the rest of the cost (San Francisco Chronicle, 8/15). Lawmakers scaled back plans for the veterans home in Saticoy to 100 beds to allow the construction of a facility in Los Angeles, which will house the state's only Alzheimer's disease and dementia unit for veterans. Construction of the new facilities should begin within two years, the Ventura County Star reports (Ventura County Star, 8/15).