This month, I had the wonderful opportunity to honor Robyn Raphael of Roseville as the 2012 Woman of the Year for the 4th Assembly District during a special Assembly ceremony at the State Capitol.

Robyn has made a tremendous contribution to our community, and her dedication to make our region and California a better place to live is inspiring. Every day, she works tirelessly to help those in need and is making a difference locally and reaching out nationally to find a cure for childhood cancer.

In June of 1997, Robyn and Kyle Raphael's four-year-old son Keaton was diagnosed with stage IV Neuroblastoma, an aggressive cancer of the nervous system. After several rounds of chemotherapy, numerous surgeries and a double bone marrow transplant, Keaton's courageous battle ended suddenly nine months later due to treatment complications.

When she gathered information on childhood cancer during her son's battle, Robyn was shocked to learn how common pediatric cancer occurs and how little money was spent on research.  Just six weeks after Keaton's death, Robyn and Kyle, together with family and friends, founded The Keaton Raphael Memorial for Neuroblastoma, Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting children and their families in their fight against childhood cancer.  The memorial started as a tribute to their son but has grown into an invaluable resource for the childhood cancer community.

Since its inception, the organization has raised close to $3 million dollars for pediatric research and patient care programs though its St. Baldrick's Foundation partnership.

I am pleased to congratulate Robyn for this most deserving honor. 

Do you know of a extraordinary veteran from the 4th Assembly District who deserves to be our 2012 Veteran of the Year?

This veteran will be my guest of honor at the Veteran of the Year ceremony at the State Capitol in May. 

Please nominate someone by visiting my website and selecting the botton on the right side of the page.

You may also nomintate someone by emailing the following to jenna.nielsen@asm.ca.gov.

Please include the nominee's name, address and phone number, and answer the following questions:

1.  In which branch of the military did this man/woman serve?
2.  What was their period of service? (m/yr-m/yr)
3.  What was the rank at the time of discharge?
4.  Did they receive any medals or honors while they were in the service?
5.  Where did they serve while they were in the service?
6.  Where they injured or wounded while in the service?
7.  What have they been doing since they were discharged from the service?
8.  Do they belong to any veterans' organizations, such as the VFW, American Legion, AMVETS, etc.?
9.  Is there any other information you feel is pertinent?

Please also include a brief biography of this person.

The deadline to submit your nomination is Tuesday, May 1 at 5 p.m. 

Please join me at an upcoming community coffee I'll be hosting in your neighborhood.

You may also visit my website at www.assembly.ca.gov/gaines for a complete list of my latest events.

Please stop by, grab a cup of coffee and let me know your thoughts and concerns about state issues.

I hope to see you there!

Rocklin
4/2/12
9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 
Kona Coffee
6843 Lonetree Blvd.  

Lincoln
4/6/12
9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Kim's Country Kitchen
537 G Street

Roseville
4/13/12
9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. 
Jericho Coffee
8711 Sierra College Boulevard

Loomis
4/20/12
9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Wild Chicken Coffee
3640 Taylor Road

This week, I achieved a big victory in the Assembly Higher Education Committee with a unanimous vote to help California Veterans afford education at state universities and colleges.

Assembly Bill 2250, jointly authored by myself with Assemblyman Chris Norby, R-Fullerton, will allow veterans who have received an honorable discharge from the military the ability to take advantage of in-state tuition costs at California's public universities.

Our military servicemen and women and their families have sacrificed greatly to protect our freedom.  We should welcome those dedicated, hardworking individuals by making it easier for them to attend our state's public universities. My bill gives our veterans the assurance of an affordable California education once their service is completed.

An honorably discharged veteran that served a minimum of 36 months in the Armed Forces or State Military Reserve, and their spouses, would qualify for resident tuition at any California Community College, California State University or University of California. 

The Post 9-11 G.I. Bill veterans currently rely on does not cover out-of-state tuition, no matter the length of time they have served.

Ryan Berg, Founder of Returning Veterans of America, recently said in a support letter of AB 2250, "Increasing veterans' access to higher education increases their access to our communities, which we feel greatly improves the transition from military to civilian life."

Assembly Bill 2250 now heads to the Assembly Veterans Committee for a vote on April 10.

Thousands of lawsuits have been filed in my district against small businesses under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for compliance issues.

Though the law was originally intended to ensure greater access for those with disabilities, it is now being abused.

Many of these businesses have been forced to shut their doors because they simply cannot afford to continue to operate after settling these lawsuits.

That's why I have introduced legislation that will help small business get the ball rolling on compliance without being threatened with a lawsuit.

I'll also continue to host my series of ADA Compliance Workshops along with Senator Ted Gaines.

I have hosted several throughout my district and many business owners have learned how to protect their business as well as guidelines to avoid lawsuits for non-compliance.

Please attend my next upcoming workshop to learn about state and federal ADA laws and how you can protect yourself:

El Dorado County
4/25/12
7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Town Hall 
549 Main St., Placerville

I'll also be discussing my new legislation.

Panelists include David Peters, CEO and General Counsel for Lawyers Against Lawsuit Abuse and Tom Scott, Executive Director for California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse.

For further information, please call (916) 774-4430.

This month, I had the privilege to meet Rocklin students at the State Capitol when their 4th grade class toured the building.

I truly enjoy when students and constituents come to visit the Capitol and learn about California's rich history.

Thanks to the students of Valley View Elementary for visiting.

What a great group of future leaders!