As part of our commitment to bring voices to bear here, we hereby present this courtesy of the team at the National Guard Association of California and the effort it undertakes on behalf of Veterans and National Guard Members in California to make a difference for all:
President's Message
CNG readiness, not partisan politics, unite us as we prepare resolutions for the National Guard Association of the United States Conference to posture the CNG for 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) funding; and state legislative proposals for state readiness to strengthen our foundation of veterans, community, and volunteer California State Military Reserve (CSMR) to support the ongoing CNG mission.
Federal Legislative Challenges: We cannot take it for granted that with a $718 billion NDAA appropriations on the table, that the Pentagon will automatically modernize the National Guard (and the CNG in particular) at the same rate as the active component. NGB Bureau Chief, Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel, said in a National Guard Magazine interview last September 2018, “There is always a competition for resources” among the components.
It is not beyond the realm of possibility that DoD will restructure the Army with the drawdown in Syria, impacting the Army National Guard. We must not discount the prospect that with the Presidential Emergency declaration on the Border, the Pentagon might recommend that the President redirect the approximately $200 million slated for the Counterdrug program in FY20 to paying for the wall. Military Construction (MILCON) for Camp Roberts and the CNG’s other federal facilities, the State Partnership Program (SPP), and the Youth ChalleNGe programs could also be vulnerable to the budget chopping block.
Therefore, the NGAC is drafting a legislative proposal that solidifies the CNG’s command and control of for federal, regional and state missions, and extends its span of control over the California State Military Reserve (CSMR) volunteer resources for state emergencies. These include:
• Codifying a Joint Qualification System (JQS) into Title 32: This resolution proposes to classify homeland response force (HRF), Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams (WMD-CST), Joint Task Force Command and Staff positions, the JFHQ-state Joint Commander and Joint Staff positions, and State Partnership Program (SPP) planning and staff positions eligible for promotion and advancement within a Joint Reserve Component Command under the auspices of the NGB Chief on the Joint Chief of Staff (JTS). This strengthens the NGB Chief’s and JFHQ-state’s command and control and cuts bureaucratic red tape for launching military response for Homeland Defense Missions.
• Clarifying State Defense Force (SDF) Policy. Calling upon the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, John Rood, to authorize DoD to interact with State Defense Forces (SDFs), legitimizing the CSMR as a member of the Military Support to Civilian Authorities (MSCA) mission, and validating the CNG’s authority to supervise them to support mobilizations and backfill for deployed CNG units. It will also permit DoD to initiate processes for issuing CSMR Computer Access Cards (CAC), legitimatizing use of Federal Armories, and qualifying them to backfill deployed CNG Units at federal armories.
State Legislative Challenges: The NGAC is working with Military Associations and other stakeholders to support bills that provide benefits to State Military Department members, veterans and families, as well as proposals to add $174 million to the General Fund for eight positions for administrative support for helicopter maintenance and accelerate logistical support for travel for training members. Consolidating Military Association support to exempt National Guard and Reserve drill pay and pensions from taxation to stem the tide of transfers and retirees moving from California are important initiatives that benefit our troops but also the state as well. We continue to monitor the Yellow Ribbon Program and Tri-care to ensure our student veterans and retirees receive their maximum federal benefits.
Scholarships: The NGAC is accepting applications for nearly $5,000 in available scholarship opportunities. Encourage your CNG members, especially members and their spouses to join the NGAC and apply for these scholarships. The SGM Association also has scholarship opportunities for its enlisted members. For more information contact SGM (Ret) Andrew R. Strauss at 1-800-234-3264.
Closing on a personal note, I attended the SGM Association mid-year conference at Camp Roberts on Feb. 15-16 and observed their dedication and volunteerism to supporting the scholarship program, the Chaplain’s fund, and the numerous charities they support. Volunteerism is priceless, and I am thankful the SMA has extended their support of our efforts in many areas.
I am optimistic about the opportunities ahead for the NGAC in 2019 and look forward to working with all of you.
Legislative Advocate Article 
The 2019-20 California legislative session is now under way. Legislators and advocacy groups are putting together their legislation for this legislative year. The deadline to introduce bills is February 22. Only a few military and veteran bills have been introduced so far and we are studying those bills to gauge their relevance. We have also been working with the NGAC Legislative Committee Chair John Haramalis on drafting legislation for the NGAC.
The Senate President pro-Tem and the Assembly Speaker have named the members of the Senate and Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs. These committees provide oversight and hear legislation relating to the National Guard/Military Department, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and benefits and programs which help California’s active military, Guard, Reserves, veterans, and their dependents. The Senate committee has 4 veterans and 2 have service in the Reserves (Roth, Umberg). There are 3 veterans on the Assembly committee and 1 was in the National Guard (Mathis).
All legislator’s bios and contact information can be found at:
California State Senate: https://www.senate.ca.gov/
California State Assembly: https://www.assembly.ca.gov/
Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs
Bob Archuleta (D) (Chair) - Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Commerce, Downey, East La Mirada, Hacienda Heights, Hawaiian Gardens, La Habra Heights, La Mirada, Lakewood, Montebello, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, RoseHills/North Whittier, Santa Fe Springs, South Whittier, West Whittier-Los Nietos, Whittier
*US Army Veteran
Shannon Grove (R) (Vice Chair) – Bakersfield, California City, Maricopa, Ridgecrest, Taft, Tehachapi, Barstow, Needles, Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley, Exeter, Tulare, Visalia
*US Army Veteran
Melissa Hurtado (D) – Fresno, Orange Cove, Parlier, Reedley, Sanger, Selma, Arvin, Bakersfield, Delano, McFarland, Shafter, Wasco, Avenal, Corcoran, Hanford, Lemoore, Dinuba, Farmersville, Lindsay, Porterville, Woodlake
Jim Nielsen (R) – Biggs, Chico, Gridley, Oroville, Paradise, Colusa, Williams, Orland, Willows, Roseville, Antelope, Carmichael, Citrus Heights, Elverta, North Highlands, Rancho Cordova, Rio Linda, Live Oak, Yuba City, Corning, Red Bluff, Tehama, Marysville, Wheatland
Richard D. Roth (D) – Corona, Coronita, Eastvale, El Cerrito, Highgrove, Home Gardens, Jurupa Valley, Mead Valley Moreno Valley, Norco, Perris, Riverside
*US Air Force Veteran
Thomas J. Umberg (D) – Corona, Coronita, Eastvale, El Cerrito, Highgrove, Home Gardens, Jurupa Valley, Mead Valley, Moreno Valley, Norco, Perris, Riverside
*US Army Veteran
Scott Wilk (R) – Lancaster, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Adelanto, Apple Valley, Hesperia, Victorville
Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs
Jacqui Irwin (D) (Chair) - Camarillo, Moorpark, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village
Randy Voepel (R) (Vice Chair) – Aguanga, Anza, Idyllwild-Pine Cove, Pinyon Pines, Valle Vista, Alpine, Borrego Springs, Descanso, El Cajon, Eucalyptus Hills, Granite Hills, Harbison Canyon, Jacumba, Jamul, Julian, La Presa, Lakeside, Ramona, Rancho San Diego, San Diego Country Estates, Santee, Spring Valley, Tecate, Winter Gardens
*US Navy Veteran
Tasha Boerner Horvath (D) - Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, and Encinitas.
William P. Brough (R) - Aliso Viejo, Coto de Caza, Dana Point, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Las Flores, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano
*US Army Veteran
Tom Daly (D) - Santa Ana, Anaheim, Garden Grove, and Orange.
Jim Frazier (D) – Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Pittsburg, Isleton, Fairfield, Rio Vista, Suisun City, Vacaville
Todd Gloria (D) - Coronado, Del Mar, Imperial Beach, Solana Beach communities of San Diego
Devon J. Mathis (R) - Bakersfield, Delano, Dinuba, Hanford, Lindsay, Porterville, Tulare, Visalia
*US Army National Guard Veteran
Al Muratsuchi (D) – Gardena, Lomita, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Redondo Beach, Torrance, West Carson
Cottie Petrie-Norris (D) - Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Irvine, Laguna Woods, Laguna Beach.
Rudy Salas (D) – Arvin, Bakersfield, Delano, Lamont, McFarland, Shafter, Wasco, Avenal, Corcoran, Hanford, Lemoore
FY 2019-20 state budget
The Governor submitted his $209 billion FY 2019-20 budget proposal to the Legislature on January 10. The Governor is taking a cautious approach with his first budget. He refrained from making long-term commitments in case of a recession and instead devoted most of the dollars to one-time spending and paying down debt (including unfunded pension liabilities).
To support the operations the Military Department, the Governor’s budget proposes $194 million. Major changes to the Military Department budget include $1.74 million General Fund and 8 positions to provide additional administrative support for emergency response activities, including helicopter maintenance staff, and to accelerate logistical functions and travel arrangement processing.
The next step for the budget is legislative and public input. The Legislature has until June 15 to pass the budget. This five-month period id devoted to for public comment on the state’s spending priorities via the subcommittee hearing process, which typically begin in March. During the subcommittee hearings, the Legislature discusses and debates budget alternatives and, in the process, makes many changes to the original proposed budget. On May 14, the Governor announces an updated revenue forecast, which accounts for changes in revenues since January (“May Revise”).
Eventually, the Assembly and Senate develop two versions of the budget proposal which are then reconciled in the Conference Committee and this version is voted on by each house. The final budget bill is then sent to the Governor who has 12 working days to sign it.
