Topeka ? Gov. Sam Brownback on Thursday announced an effort to try to get services to more military veterans.

“We will always remember and honor our veterans,” Brownback said at a news conference.

When the 2014 legislative session starts Monday, Brownback said he will seek approval for hiring four employees who will help veterans access benefits, a $1.4 million upgrade of the Kansas Soldiers’ Home, and opening a 40-bed housing unit at the Kansas Veterans Home in Winfield.

There are approximately 230,000 military veterans in Kansas.

Wayne Bollig, with the Kansas Commission on Veterans’ Affairs, said about 12 percent of veterans in Kansas receive benefits, while in neighboring states the figure is 18 percent to 22 percent.