Courtesy photo.
SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) was honored with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Department of California’s “Legislator of the Year” Award. The award was presented at their annual Legislative Day Reception Wednesday, April 19th.
“During her time in the legislature, she has proven to be an ally to the VFW and stood for all Veterans through her policy work and Chairmanship of the Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs,” said VFW, Dept. of California State Adjutant/Quartermaster Steve Milano.
Assemblymember Irwin’s legislation has created tax-free savings accounts for the disabled, increased the cybersecurity of state agencies, and removed barriers for military service members seeking mental health services. As chair of the Veterans Committee, Assemblymember Irwin passed legislation that secured $5.6 million in state funding for California’s veterans service officers (VSO’s) to help veterans get connected to the federal benefits that they earned.
Assemblymember Irwin was also instrumental in working with the State Auditor, CalVet, and the Department of Technology to improve CalVet’s new electronic patient records system, which at the time was failing to meet the basic needs of the state’s veterans.
“The VFW is an extraordinary organization that advocates on behalf of our nation’s veterans, and I’m deeply honored to be named the Veterans of Foreign Wars Legislator of the Year,” said Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin. “As the chair of the Assembly Veterans Committee, it’s my commitment to serve our country’s veterans with the same passion and dedication that they gave to our nation. I look forward to continuing to advocate on their behalf.”
The Veterans of Foreign Wars is an advocacy organization that includes 2.6 million members in approximately 9,000 posts worldwide. They were founded over 100 years ago and have donated millions of dollars and volunteer hours. One of their biggest accomplishments was lobbying for the GI bill for the 20th century.
Assemblymember Irwin’s website: http://asmdc.org/irwin