State Senator Jeff Stone honored by Easterseals California as Legislative Champion

Easterseals California has honored State Senator Jeff Stone (R-California, Murrieta) with a 2017 Senate Champion Award during their recent Annual Easterseals California Awards Dinner held earlier this week.

Easterseals California (a grouping of all Easterseals affiliates in the state) created its Senate Champion Award to honor public officials, both elected and appointed, for their work to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, and for all.

Senator Stone has led the charge in California on disability issues, fighting hard in the Extraordinary Sessions for the stabilization of services for individuals with a developmental disability, while also taking an active role in moving forward the plan to transition residents of the state developmental centers into community services.

"Senator Stone's receptivity and understanding of the complex issues surrounding changes of this magnitude has been helpful, especially for those with complex needs transitioning to community services," said Carlene Holden, executive vice president of Easterseals Southern California. "He has also been a champion by co-authoring a bill that will permit terminally ill patients to use experimental drugs not yet approved for general use and additional authored a bill, now law, that keeps expired drugs away from children and prevents later misuse by allowing the owner to drop off the expired medications at participating pharmacies."

Senator Stone was elected to the California State Senate in 2014, representing the 28th district where he currently serves the Temecula Valley and the desert communities of Palm Springs and extending to the Colorado River.

“I am honored to accept this award from Easterseals California,” said Senator Stone. “I look forward to continuing my work to provide important services to members of the disabled community.”

Easterseals is proud to present this Senate Champion Award to State Senator Jeff Stone for his continuing efforts to support people with disabilities.

About Easterseals

For nearly 100 years, Easterseals has been the indispensable resource for people and families facing disability. Through the work we do in communities across America, Easterseals is changing the way the world defines and views disability by making profound, positive differences in people’s lives every day. Join us as we take on disability together at Easterseals.com.

Easterseals 2017 Senate Leadership Award

In 2004, Easterseals awarded its first Senate Leadership Award to recognize sustained efforts by elected and appointed officials that help forward Easterseals’ mission to serve people with disabilities. Every honoree has gone the extra mile in making a difference for Americans with disabilities. Each believes that people with disabilities deserve a quality education, opportunities for employment, and access to health care, affordable housing, transportation and polling places.