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One of my favorite parts about being a legislator is staying in touch with the diverse group of folks I represent. Technology -- much of it developed here in Silicon Valley -- is giving us easier and more powerful ways to do just that. Whether you prefer subscribing to blog feeds, receiving email updates, or just browsing, this website has tools to help you stay informed and engaged.

Another one of those technologies is Facebook, where I recently created a new page. If you're a Facebook user, I hope you'll become a supporter. You can share your thoughts on my Wall and receive invitations to local events that might not make it into an email update.

Thanks again. I look forward to continuing the conversation.

-Joe

CBS 5: Treating the Invisible Wounds of War

...Dr. Blum sent his ideas about universal screening to the state capitol, where it didn't get much response until it landed on the desk of his state senator, Joe Simitian.

"It was very compelling," Simitian remembers. "He really conveyed both in his letter, and when he came to the capitol, that this was the least we could do."

Simitian entered Dr. Blum's letter in his "There Oughta be a Law Contest" and out of over 400 entries, his won.

"I almost fainted!: Dr. Blum says with a laugh. "Because I never win a contest!"

By the end of 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger had signed Senate Bill No. 1401 into law.

Simitian says, "The California Department of Veterans Affairs, The California National Guard are now obliged as a matter of state law to make sure when young men and women come back from Afghanistan and Iraq, they know about traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress syndrome, and they know that there are options out there for them; that there's help."

Read and watch the full story here