ST. PAUL  (AP) - Minnesota's top veterans official says the state will continue helping pay for honor guards at veterans' funerals.

Veterans Affairs Commissioner Larry Shellito says his agency has the funds to keep paying for the funeral honors, even though the spending was cut in the new state budget.

Shellito says he won't let the funeral honors fall through the cracks.

The state has reimbursed service organizations up to $50 for each funeral since 2008.

The budget cut was forcing the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and other veterans groups to try to raise money to continue providing military honors at veteran funerals.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

More From AM 1240 WJON