BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: scr 43
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: desaulnier
VERSION: 6/3/13
Analysis by: Carrie Cornwell FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: June 11, 2013
SUBJECT:
Officer Kenyon Youngstrom Memorial Undercrossing
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution names the Livorna Road Undercrossing of State
Highway Route (SR) 680 in Contra Costa County as the Officer
Kenyon Youngstrom Memorial Undercrossing.
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
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 measure must represent the
district in which the facility is located, and the measure
must identify the specific highway segment or structure being
named.
If the segment of highway is being named for a specific
individual or individuals, it must not exceed five miles in
length.
The proposed designation must reflect a community consensus
and be without local opposition.
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.
SCR 43 (DESAULNIER) Page 2
This resolution designates the SR 680 undercrossing at Livorna
Road in the County of Contra Costa as the Officer Kenyon
Youngstrom Memorial Undercrossing. 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 Kenyon Youngstrom.
2.Background on Kenyon Youngstrom . Born in 1974 in Pasadena,
California, Kenyon Youngstrom graduated from high school in
Riverside in 1993. He attended college in both Riverside and
Napa counties, and then in 2005, entered the California
Highway Patrol (CHP) Academy. He graduated six months later
and began his service with the CHP in the Contra Costa area.
Officer Youngstrom served in both the Contra Costa area and
the Golden Gate Division in his seven-year CHP career.
On September 4, 2012, Officer Youngstrom stopped on the
shoulder of southbound SR 680, near Livorna Road in Alamo, to
check on a deer carcass. At approximately 8:20 AM another
officer radioed that he was pulling over a vehicle for an
obstructed license plate. As the vehicle approached Officer
Youngstrom's position, Officer Youngstrom signaled for the
driver to pull in behind his parked patrol car.
After the vehicle stopped, Officer Youngstrom began speaking
with the driver as the other officer parked behind them.
Officer Youngstrom was still speaking with the subject when
the man suddenly pulled a handgun and shot him in the head
through the window, knocking Officer Youngstrom into the
travel lane of the highway. The other officer immediately
returned fire, killing the subject.
Officer Youngstrom was transported to John Muir Medical Center
where he remained on life support until succumbing to his
wound the next day. Officer Youngstrom is survived by his
wife, Karen, and their four children, Alexander, Madison,
Andrew, and Kennedy, as well as his mother and five siblings.
3.Consistent with the committee's historic policy . This
resolution is consistent with all the provisions of the
committee's policy on highway designations.
SCR 43 (DESAULNIER) Page 3
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday, June 5,
2013.)
SUPPORT: None received.
OPPOSED: None received.