BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: SCR 23
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: Cannella
VERSION: 4/9/13
Analysis by: Erin Riches FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: April 16, 2013
SUBJECT:
Soledad State Prison Correctional Officers Memorial Highway
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution names a portion of Highway 101 in Monterey
County as the Soledad State Prison Correctional Officers
Memorial Highway honoring John V. Mills, William C. Shull,
Robert J. McCarthy, and Kenneth E. Conant.
ANALYSIS:
The committee has adopted a policy regarding the naming of state
highways or structures. Under the policy, the committee will
consider only those resolutions that meet all of the following
criteria:
The person being honored must have provided extraordinary
public service or some exemplary contribution to the public
good and have a connection to the community where the highway
or structure is located.
The person being honored must be deceased.
The naming must be done without cost to the state. Costs for
signs and plaques must be paid by local or private sources.
The author or co-author of the resolution must represent the
district in which the facility is located, and the resolution
must identify the specific highway segment or structure being
named.
The segment of highway being named must not exceed five miles
in length.
The proposed designation must reflect a community consensus
and be without local opposition.
SCR 23 (CANNELLA) Page 2
The proposed designation may not supersede an existing
designation unless the sponsor can document that a good faith
effort has uncovered no opposition to rescinding the prior
designation.
This resolution designates the portion of State Highway Route
101, between Exits 305 and 310, as the Soledad State Prison
Correctional Officers Memorial Highway honoring John V. Mills,
William C. Shull, Robert J. McCarthy, and Kenneth E. Conant.
The resolution further requests that the Department of
Transportation erect appropriate signs upon receiving donations
from non-state sources to cover the costs.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose . The author introduced this resolution to honor the
life and service of Soledad State Prison correctional officers
John V. Mills, William C. Shull, and Robert J. McCarthy, as
well as correctional employee Kenneth E. Conant. (Soledad
State Prison is now the California Department of Corrections
and Rehabilitation Correctional Training Facility, adjacent to
the Salinas Valley State Prison.)
2.Background on Officers Conant, McCarthy, Mills, and Shull .
Between January 1970 and May 1971, Soledad State Prison
inmates attacked and killed three correctional officers and a
correctional employee in the line of duty during a series of
violent inmate uprisings.
Officer John V. Mills was born on July 19, 1944, in Riverside,
California. He grew up in Fresno, attended Long Beach State
College, and served two years in the Army before starting to
work at Soledad State Prison. Two years later, on January 16,
1970, three inmates attacked Officer Mills and beat him to
death in retaliation for the shooting deaths of three inmates
at the prison. Officer Mills was survived by his widow,
Bernadette, and his son, Michael Lee.
Officer William C. Shull was born on June 13, 1930, in
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He attended Gettysburg High School,
served 22 years in the Army, retiring with the rank of Master
Sergeant, and was awarded the Bronze Star and the Army
Commendation Medal. On July 23, 1970, inmates fatally beat
and stabbed Officer Shull in retaliation for the shooting
deaths of three inmates at the prison. Officer Shull was
SCR 23 (CANNELLA) Page 3
survived by his widow, Kazuko, and his four daughters, Gracie,
Sarah, Betty, and Rose.
Officer Robert J. McCarthy was born on August 8, 1927, in
Oklahoma. Officer McCarthy served 21 years in the Army,
retiring with the rank of Sergeant. On March 4, 1971, an
inmate stabbed Officer McCarthy. He later died at the
military hospital at Fort Ord. Officer McCarthy was survived
by his widow, Emily, and his two children, Leon and Sylvia.
Correctional employee Kenneth E. Conant was born on December
6, 1921, in Denver, Colorado. He attended the University of
Denver and the University of Southern California, and worked
in corrections for 20 years. On May 19, 1971, two inmates
with handmade knives attacked and fatally stabbed Mr. Conant.
Mr. Conant was survived by his widow, Helen, and his son,
Donald.
3.Consistent with committee policy . This resolution is
consistent with the provisions of the committee's policy on
highway designations.
4.Double designation . ACR 12 (Blakeslee), Resolution Chapter
84, Statutes of 2009, designated a segment of Highway 101 in
Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara Counties as the
National Purple Heart Trail to honor the men and women who
have earned the military Purple Heart medal. This resolution
overlaps the ACR 12 designation. Committee policy states that
a proposed designation may not supersede an existing
designation. However, SCR 23 would simply provide an
additional designation, intended for specific individuals, as
opposed to the general National Purple Heart Trail
designation.
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday, April 10,
2013.)
SUPPORT: California Correctional Peace Officers
Association
California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation Correctional
Training Facility
OPPOSED: None received.
SCR 23 (CANNELLA) Page 4