On Tuesday, Oct. 17, Governor Jerry Brown visited Mt. SAC’s Veteran Resource Center at the invitation of local State Senator Josh Newman. Newman, chair for the State Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs, wanted Brown to see what a recent bill signed by the governor could do to support veterans in the California Community College system.

Newman recently passed a bill that will provide millions in funding for community college veteran resource centers throughout the state. The legislation will provide $5 million annually on an on-going basis for the resource centers.

“For those veterans coming home, we want to make sure it works for the very best,” Brown said.

“California’s community college system is still characterized by very wide variations in level of support when it comes to VRCs [Veteran Resource Centers] on college campuses,” Newman said while addressing school and local officials in front of the Veteran Resource Center.

Brown highlighted the importance of community colleges and hoped that they could start offering four year degrees and boasted on what they had to offer and a recent bill he signed that gave full time students free tuition for the first year.

While taking questions Brown said that he supported Dianne Feinstein’s reelection bid to the U.S. Senate and jokingly said no one should be discriminated for their age. Brown said that despite his own age he would have to be escorted out when his fourth and final term ends in 2019.

Brown was asked by SAC Media’s managing editor, Brigette Lugo, if he had anything to say to the DACA students at Mt. SAC. “They’re part of our community,” Brown said. “We will defend each and everyone of them and that’s what we’re doing.”