Davis Vetoes Bill to Fund New Veterans Home

Citing ample space in two existing veterans homes, Gov. Gray Davis vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have provided $12 million toward building a new veterans residence in the Antelope Valley.

“The governor felt that at this time the need for a new veterans home in California has not been established,” Davis spokesman Roger Salazar said Wednesday.

“A 400-bed home in Barstow is at 67% capacity and a 400-bed home in Chula Vista is at 10%.”

In his veto message on AB 1226, Davis also said that the federal government had lowered the project’s priority, making it unlikely to receive federal funding.

U.S. Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, (R-Santa Clarita), sharply criticized the governor’s action, saying in a written statement that he was “shocked and disappointed” and calling the veto “a slap in the face by the state of California to veterans of the Antelope Valley and surrounding regions.”