Bill Text: MO HCR28 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Strongly urges the United States Department of Defense to reconsider the reduction and realignment of Army forces at Fort Leonard Wood
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-05-13 - Adopted (S) - AYES: 33 [HCR28 Detail]
Download: Missouri-2013-HCR28-Introduced.html
FIRST REGULAR SESSION
House Concurrent Resolution No. 28
97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES LYNCH (Sponsor), GANNON, SOLON, SHUMAKE, HANSEN, NETH, BAHR, PIKE AND MCCAHERTY (Co-sponsors).
WHEREAS, the Army 2020 Force Structure Realignment Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) includes a plan to reduce the Army's end strength and realign its forces over the coming years which will affect 21 Army installations across the country, including Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri; and
WHEREAS, these Army reductions and realignments that may occur from Fiscal Year 2013-2020 will result in significant impacts to a variety of economic measures in communities neighboring these 21 installations; and
WHEREAS, the PEA specifically references the impact of force structure reductions at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, including reduction in employment, income, regional population, and sales; and
WHEREAS, Fort Leonard Wood currently has a permanent workforce of approximately 9,500 soldiers and Army civilians, not including trainees, students, family members, other service members, contractors, and non-full time employees; and
WHEREAS, the Programmatic Environmental Assessment proposes a loss of up to 3,900 of these soldiers and Army civilians, which is a loss of 41% of permanent staff and an added loss of 450 direct and 504 indirect jobs across the community; and
WHEREAS, the economic impact across the three-county region, as defined in the study, would be devastating. The study shows a loss of 8% in annual sales, 6.75% in tax revenue, 11.21% in employment, and 7.5% in population; and
WHEREAS, as the study notes, only a portion of the potential loss is considered in the study. The study states that there may also be a loss of 10% of training load and an unknown percentage of other services not factored into the analysis. With this additional loss, the overall loss would be catastrophic for the region; and
WHEREAS, the majority of the impact would be felt in Pulaski County, Missouri; and
WHEREAS, the study projects a loss of almost 3,700 K-12 school students in the region, with a majority of the loss in the Waynesville School District that provides K-12 schools on Fort Leonard Wood and the immediate vicinity; and
WHEREAS, Waynesville School District has approximately 6,000 students enrolled today. Assuming 85% of the loss in that school district, the district would realize a 52% loss of its current enrollment; and
WHEREAS, to continue to provide the highest level of quality education, the Waynesville School District has recently invested in several new facilities, a high school, elementary school, and career center. These facilities are heavily dependent on continuing federal impact aid for construction bond funding. Based on the projected level of impact aid loss, the district would be placed in serious financial jeopardy; and
WHEREAS, the impact of these losses would be felt not only in the communities surrounding Fort Leonard Wood, but the entire State of Missouri. The full impact of the state if the troop reduction goes forward has yet to be determined, but it is certain it would be significant, because Fort Leonard Wood is one of the largest employers in the State of Missouri; and
WHEREAS: Fort Leonard Wood is an important asset for the Army and the Department of Defense through pioneering the concepts of multiple schools at one location, and multi-service training and education; and
WHEREAS, the Army has made a multi-billion dollar investment in new infrastructure at the installation and its operating costs are among the lowest in the country. Fort Leonard Wood should be considered for additional mission growths, not reductions; and
WHEREAS, final decisions will be made over the next several years. The projected $233 million in economic loss and 6,441 jobs affected as a result of the proposed Army reductions will have a significant impact to the State of Missouri and catastrophic to the region:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-seventh General Assembly, First Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby strongly urge the Department of Defense to reconsider the reduction and realignment of Army forces at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and continue full operation at this installation, which has one of the lowest installation operating costs in the county; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for the Secretary of the United States Department of Defense, the United States Army Environment Command, and each member of the Missouri Congressional delegation.
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