BILL SIGNED BY GOVERNOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11TH

Late this afternoon Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 343 - The Interstate Compact. Today was his deadline for signing or vetoing bills.

As usual, nothing has been really easy with this bill but because of the great efforts of all of you, CA is now the 26th state to join the Compact and brings the number of military children covered by the Compact to about 80%. I can’t that you all enough for your hard work in making this possible.

Laurie

Dr. Laurie Crehan, Quality of Life State Liaison, Pacific Region (AZ, CA, HI, NV), DoD-State Liaison Office Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, MC & FP, voice/fax: 858-274-3314 cell: 858-361-1731 www.USA4MilitaryFamilies.org continue reading

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UNANIMOUS PASSAGE BY THE CALIFORNIA SENATE AND ASSEMBLY

Wednesday night, September 9, 2009, California SJR10, scoring a unanimous 70-0 aye votes, passed the House of the California State Assembly. It had previously and unanimously passed the Senate floor with 36-0 aye votes.

It directs the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of SJR10 resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States the Speaker of the House of Representatives the Majority Leader of the Senate and each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.

Here is the resolution: http://placer.networkofcare.org/veterans/legislate/display.cfm?bill=SJR%2010&ver=05/28/2009

The final passage of SJR 10 represents six months of intensive lobbying by Colonel Art Krause ,USAF ret, on behalf of his fellow military retirees. With time spent pro bono, and with the accumulation of 38 years experience by Art as a professional lobbyist, this is not the first time Art has successfully guided significant resolutions and bills through the many facets of the California State Legislature in dedicated support of members of the United States military, both active and retired. continue reading

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GATES HEARS MILITARY CHILDREN’S EDUCATION ISSUES

By Donna Miles/American Forces Press Service

FORT BELVOIR, Va., Sept. 8, 2009 - As President Barack Obama was in nearby Arlington giving his pep talk today to America’s schoolchildren, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here in a receiving mode to hear firsthand about challenges military children face in the education system.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates meets with troops and spouses to discuss various topics of concern for military families at George Washington Community Center on Fort Belvoir, Va., Sept. 8, 2009.

Gates paid his first visit here as defense secretary, meeting in a closed-door session with military parents whose children were kicking off their new school year at local Fairfax County schools.

Talking with reporters after the 45-minute session, Gates said he has a list of issues to look into after today’s discussion. These include: continue reading

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BILL ON WAY TO GOVERNOR

The Interstate Compact just passed out of the Senate and will be headed for the Governor! We are not out of the woods yet, but well on our way. The vote was unanimous.

Once again, thank all of you for your support. Laurie

Dr. Laurie Crehan Quality of Life State Liaison, Pacific Region (AZ, CA, HI, NV) DoD-State Liaison Office Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, MC & FP voice/fax: 858-274-3314 cell: 858-361-1731 www.USA4MilitaryFamilies.or continue reading

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CALIFORNIA GUARD MEMBERS GRANTED EDUCATION ASSISTANCE

Friday, July 31, 2009 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the California National GuardEducation Assistance Program (CNGEAP), a new program he made sure was part of the state budget that will provide financial assistance for California’s National Guard members to get a college education. Before this legislation, California was the only state in the nation that did not offer an education incentive to reward and retain National Guard members.

“California’s National Guard is on the front lines of every disaster. From protecting citizens from wildfires and floods here at home to serving the people of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the Guard can be relied on in every emergency,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “These brave men and women are heroes, and now they will have the opportunity to get the college education they deserve. I have fought for education benefits for California’s troops since I came into office, and I will continue to work to ensure they are rewarded with the opportunities they have earned.” continue reading

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FREEDOM RINGS AS AB 1569

Dear AB 1569 Fans,

Our name has changed and our mission has gained key supporters.

A dizzying number of things have happened over the last two weeks, but in rather simple terms this is what has occurred: In order to move this critical issue forward, the language of an already existing bill, AB 1569, is being removed and replaced with the language of the bill we have been supporting as AB 351. This allows the bill to be heard very soon in the Senate Committee on Education and to gather even more support in the Assembly.

How to Help.

1. We need official letters of support on official letterhead from school districts, school board members, superintendents, principals and supporting organizations such as CMEA as soon as possible. Monday, July 6, would not be too soon. There is a possibility that the bill will come before the Senate Committee on Education as soon as this coming Wednesday, July 11, although the budget crisis has moved all committee meetings forward for the time being. For those who have already sent a letter for AB 351, the same letter with the new bill number is perfect. If you need an example, several AB 351 letters are already posted on the website under the button, “Sample Letters.” Just make sure you change the bill number throughout the letter to AB 1569. continue reading

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MOAA DAY AT THE STATE CAPITOL

Annually, all the MOAA Council Presidents go to Washington DC to participate in a day of lobbying on Capitol Hill. Generally, each Council President is paired up with someone from the HQs MOAA staff or Board of Directors and they go to as many legislators’ offices from their state as the can. Sometimes they get an appointment with the legislator personally; other times they meet with the legislative aid. Either way, they try to convince legislators to co-sponsor key bills that MOAA is pushing.

At the state level, the same thing can be done by MOAA state councils. While a one day “storming” of the state capital can not replace a year long advocacy campaign and meetings with state legislators in their home offices, it is an important event to publicize and show support for your legislative objectives.

The Virginia Council of MOAA has been doing a Storming of the Hill at the state capitol for 12 years. continue reading

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THERE IS POWER IN COOPERATION AND COORDINATION

In January 2003 at a meeting between Virginia’s Governor, Mark Warner, and the leadership of the Virginia Council of Chapters of MOAA, the Governor said, “ If all you veterans groups ever got together on what you really wanted, you could be the most potent political force in the state”. In those days, the American Legion was lobbying for some things, the VFW for others, and MOAA had an entirely different agenda. No wonder not much really got accomplished. The legislators did not really know what the priorities of the veterans were. continue reading

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