EAU CLAIRE— Assistant Democratic Senate Leader Jeff Smith (D-Brunswick), released the statement below following the press release issued by Gov. Evers announcing the closure of Klein Hall for homeless veterans in Chippewa Falls:
“The recent announcement to close the Klein Hall for homeless veterans in Chippewa Falls on September 30th is especially disheartening considering the efforts made by Senate Democrats to keep this facility open. As Governor Evers stated in his press release today, this closure is a direct result of the Joint Finance Committee rejecting the needed $1.9 million to operate this facility, especially in the face of federal cuts that just passed in Congress.
“I, along with my Democratic colleagues, proposed an amendment to the budget to fund it, but it failed with all but one Republican voting against the Amendment. It’s careless and callous to leave veterans out in the cold at a time when they need us the most.”