Veterans of Foreign Wars, Department of California

VFW LEGISLATIVE DAY AT THE CAPITOL 2012

Some 700 veterans from across the State stormed the State Capitol on April 18 in support of legislative issues of concern to the veterans community.  Both the VFW and the American Legion scheduled their annual Legislative Day on that date  their caps visible all day in the halls of the Capitol.  Hundreds more of the veterans rallied in support of the major issue, the funding for operation of the two new State Veterans Homes in Fresno and Redding.  The focus of the legislative efforts was the afternoon session of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on State Administration which was reviewing the proposed budget for the California Department of Veterans Affairs.  Unfortunately, the hearing room was entirely too small to accommodate all the veterans who wanted to attend so many had to go to other locations at the Capitol where they could view the television broadcast of the hearing.  As a note to those who were not able to actually get into the hearing room, please be assured that the members of the Budget Subcommittee were well aware of your presence.  Your efforts to attend this very important event were certainly worthwhile and contributed to the successes of the day.  The staff recommendations to the members of the Budget Subcommittee were to “Reject the Governor’s proposal to delay opening the Veterans Home of California at Fresno and the Veterans Home of California at Redding and appropriate $10.6 million to begin the opening process in Fiscal Year 2012-2013.”  An additional part of the recommendation would direct the California Department of Veterans Affairs to determine if there are any efficiencies in the department’s budget that could be used to help offset the cost of opening the two homes.  The staff recommendation was unanimously upheld even after the objections of the representative from the California Department of Finance.  While the action of this Subcommittee is a major step forward for the potential opening of the Veterans Homes, there is still a long way to go.  This action will have to be upheld by the full Budget Committee, and then to be retained during the Conference Committee with the Senate Budget Committee.  If those outcomes are successful, there is still the need for the approval by Governor Brown.  It should also be noted that the actual need for funds in the State Budget, before the first veterans can be accepted as residents at these homes is probably closer to $26 million.  As is customary, we will have to stay tuned for additional developments.  The VFW Legislative Day was capped off with an evening reception during which the VFW Legislator of the Year Award was presented by Department Commander Bobby Price to Assemblyman Henry Perea of Fresno in recognition for his leadership at the State Legislature in the bipartisan efforts to obtain funding for the California State Veterans Homes at Fresno and Redding.  Dave Jones, Insurance Commissioner for the State of California, and MGEN Peter J. Gravett, Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs, also spoke to the members attending.  Among the visitors was Hugh Crooks, Jr., Commander of the American Legion Department of California.