Knowing of your interest in veterans' issues, I wanted to share a positive development in the effort to expand health care services for veterans in Northern California. Today I participated in the ground breaking of the Veterans Home of California in Redding. It will be a state run facility that provides aged or disabled veterans with rehabilitative, residential, and medical care services in a home-like environment with a capacity of 150 beds. Operational funding will come from both California and the federal government. I applaud all of the state and local leaders and, most important, the veterans groups in our region, for their tireless work to demonstrate the need for this Redding home and their perseverance throughout the planning process. This home will usher in a new era of veterans’ services in the North State and will meet real needs of our large veteran population. I will continue to monitor the construction and look forward to attending the grand opening.