BILL ANALYSIS �
SCR 23
Page 1
Date of Hearing: August 23, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
SCR 23 (Cannella) - As Amended: August 5, 2013
SENATE VOTE : 35-0
SUBJECT : Soledad State Prison Correctional Officers Memorial
Highway
SUMMARY : Designates a portion of State Route (SR) 101in the
County of Monterey the "Soledad State Prison Correctional
Officers Memorial Highway." Specifically, this bill :
1)Recounts 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 who were killed in the line of duty at the
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Correctional Training Facility (formerly known as the Soledad
State Prison) in a string of violent inmate uprisings.
2)Designates a portion of SR 101 in Monterey County between exit
305 at post mile 64.630 and exit 310 at post mile 69.372 as
the "Soledad Correctional Officers Memorial Highway."
3)Requests that the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) determine the cost of appropriate signs, consistent
with the signing requirements for the state highway system
showing the special designation and, upon receiving donations
from non-state sources covering that cost, to erect those
signs.
EXISTING LAW : Assigns Caltrans the responsibility of operating
and maintaining state highways. This includes the installation
and maintenance of highway signs.
FISCAL EFFECT : Costs to Caltrans to erect the signs are to be
covered by non-state donations.
COMMENTS : 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. This bill would designate a
SCR 23
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portion of SR 101 in Monterey County to honor these individuals.
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 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
and served 22 years in the Army, retiring with the rank of
Master Sergeant. He 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 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.
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
SCR 23
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Purple Heart Trail designation.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Correctional Peace Officers Association
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Correctional Training Facility
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Victoria Alvarez / TRANS. / (916) 319-
2093