Assemblyman Honored for his Commitment to New Jersey’s Active Duty Military,
Veterans and their Families
(HAMILTON) – Assemblyman Wayne P. DeAngelo (D-Hamilton) recently was honored as Legislator of the Year by the statewide Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) at their annual Voice of Democracy dinner. The prestigious group chose DeAngelo for his legislative advocacy on behalf of New Jersey’s active duty military members as well as their families and veterans.
“It is a humbling honor to be recognized by the VFW,” said DeAngelo, who serves as deputy speaker. “I consider it a great responsibility to address the everyday issues that those in active duty and veterans face every day whether it’s dealing with financial matters during deployment or helping to create civilian career paths for our veterans.
“There are a whole host of issues facing our armed forces that are often not seen by the public or raised by representatives. It is a privilege that I do not take lightly to able to be a voice for these men and women,” DeAngelo added.
In presenting the assemblyman with the award, the VFW noted his sponsorship of several recent laws to address concerns raised by veterans or active duty military members. Those laws include: granting hiring preference to veterans applying to become member of the New Jersey State Police; allowing an extended timeframe for renewal of driver’s licenses or vehicle registrations for deployed active duty military members or their families; enabling donations to non-profit veterans organizations through gross income tax returns; permitting children of active military members to reside in school districts where they attend prior to active duty; and waiving municipal parking meter fees for disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients.
“I will continue to stand up and advocate for our military personnel, our veterans and our military families who have stood up time and time again to fight for the safety and rights that we enjoy as Americans,” said DeAngelo.
Currently, DeAngelo is focused on a package of legislation that he drafted to protect the military bases in New Jersey as well as the workforce, businesses and communities connected with the five facilities across the state.
DeAngelo serves as vice-chairman of the Assembly Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and on the state Council on Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs.