(Photo: Marine Major General Michael Lehnert at a press conference in the Navy Hospital on Camp Pendleton Marine Base to announce the new laws signed by Schwarzenegger. Alison St John/KPBS )
Top Military Brass from the Navy, the Marine Corp and the National Guard gathered at Camp Pendleton Marine Base to announce a package of new laws signed this week by Governor Schwarzenegger. The laws will benefit military families, offer educational opportunities to military personnel and provide some financial protections. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.
Military officials say they are optimistic the bills are an indication that Schwarzenegger’s Military Affairs Committee, established last year, is beginning to make its mark at the state capital.
Admiral Len Herring says he’s particularly glad to see the state government putting teeth into Federal legislation to protect military from predatory lending. California’s Department of Corporations will be able to shut down payday loan stores that persist in selling loans to military personnel at record high interest rates
Hering: I would consider this particular piece of legislation one of the greatest single greatest significant effort and the first of the governor’s Military Affairs Committee that has now has a significant piece of nation precedent setting piece of legislation to protect soldiers sailors airmen and marines around the country.
The Marines and Sailors gathered at the Naval Hospital on Camp Pendleton to hear about the new laws were more impressed by the news that they would be given priority enrollment at Cal State University and the State’s Community Colleges. Plus they liked the law requiring employers to give spouses of active duty personnel 10 days of unpaid leave after their husband or wife returns from active duty.
Captain Kimberly Holman says that will really help those who come back from a war zone to readjust to family life.
Holman: And to try to get back into the rhythm of what’s going on with the children and the family, those ten days would be critical to be able to relax have some down town and get to know each other again.
Reinforcing the idea that military personnel are an important part of the voting public, one law allows someone who’s called up for military service and misses the deadline to apply for an absentee ballot to send in their vote by fax.
Alison St John, KPBS News.
