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AWARD: from (l-r) Seth Reeb, Veterans Advocate, Reeb Govt Relations; Hugh Crooks, Chairman, California Veterans Board; James Lubey, Legislative Chairman, California State Commanders Veterans Council; Chuck Jamison, Secretary, California State Commanders Veterans Council; State Senator Bob Archuleta; Fred Romero, Chairman, California State Commanders Veterans Council; Jim Anderson, Vice Chairman, California State Commanders Veterans Council; Richard Chacon, Director, Supplier Diversity and Community Outreach, Union Bank.
Sacramento CA– The California State Commanders Veterans Council (CSCVC) is honored to announce that Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) has been selected as the recipient of the Council’s 2019 Legislator of the Year Award.
The CSCVC Legislator of the Year Award is given in recognition for leadership and efforts on behalf of California’s veterans, active duty military, reserves, and the California National Guard.
Senator Archuleta was presented with the award during the CSCVC’s Day at the Capitol event on February 22, 2020.
Senator Archuleta has been a champion for veterans and active duty military troops in California from the moment he took office. From his time in the U.S. Army to his public sector work he has demonstrated tremendous support for the military and veterans community. On his first day in the Senate, he took the time to talk with the CSCVC legislative advocate about the current issues facing veterans and service members. The Senator made it clear, in the first Senate Veterans committee hearing that all hearings will start with acknowledging all veterans and service member in the audience.
“It is an honor for me to receive this recognition from the California State Commanders Veterans Council. I will continue to work with all veterans and active military in the state of California to represent them to the best of my ability. I will continue working with my colleagues and the governor’s office on veterans’ homelessness, as well as issues pertaining to our active military and our 22 armed force bases in California,” Senator Archuleta said.
Senator Archuleta authored Senate Bill 289 in 2019; home and community-based services (HCBS); which was signed by Governor Newsom. SB 289 allows active duty service members, upon receiving orders to transfer out of state, to maintain their eligibility status or their place on the waiting list for services. This bill would also allow military personnel and their families to apply for the Medicaid HCBS waiver program when they receive notification of their pending transfer into the state.
Frederick Romero, Chairman of the CSCVC, said, “When Senator Archuleta was appointed as the Chairman of Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, we instinctively knew he would be the right person for the job. He has captivated us with his intimate knowledge, and unique ability to understand and relate to the active duty military and California veterans. He has also shown, through action in his first year, his desire to tackle the tough issues such as the California Veterans Homes and the Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise program.”
The Senator was elected in 2018 to the California State Senate. Archuleta is an Army veteran and was a combat paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. Senator Archuleta is the current Chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Archuleta served as a Presidential Appointee under then-President Barack Obama as the first Mexican American to be appointed to the Board of Visitors to the United States Military Academy at West Point, which inquiries into the morale, discipline, curriculum, and other matters relating to the academy, and he was immediately elected as co-chair. He also served on the Los Angeles County Military Veteran Affairs Commission and the United States Army Advisory Board for Military Recruitment.
The California State Commanders Veterans Council is a group of 20 veterans service organizations and other military service-related organizations, whose mission is to evaluate pending state legislation affecting California’s veterans, whether active, reserve, National Guard, or retired. The Council was founded in 1966 and meets regularly to coordinate legislative strategies to advance veterans issues at the state level.
Members of the California State Commanders Veterans Council:
American G.I. Forum of California
