BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: scr 45
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: wolk
VERSION: 6/5/13
Analysis by: Mark Stivers FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: June 11, 2013
SUBJECT:
Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution designates a segment of Interstate 80 in Solano
County as the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway.
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.
This resolution designates the segment of Interstate 80 between
SCR 45 (WOLK) Page 2
Midway Road and the State Route 12 East interchange in Solano
County as the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway. 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 of the resolution . According to the author, this
resolution is intended to honor the Tuskegee Airmen and the
contributions they made during World War II.
2.Contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen . As a result of pressure
from civil rights organizations and the black press, on
January 16, 1941, the United States War Department announced
the formation of the 99th Pursuit Squadron, the first African
American flying unit in the United States Army Air Corps.
This squadron trained at the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee,
Alabama, and became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. During
World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen flew 15,000 sorties,
completing over 1,500 missions. They shot down a total of 112
enemy aircraft, including the first German jet fighters, and
proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that African Americans were
capable of flying the best of the Allied fighters to victory
against the best of the enemy fighters. In addition, the
Airmen lost so few Allied bomber aircraft to enemy fighters
when flying escort missions that they earned the title "Red
Tail Angels" from the bomber crews who would specifically
request them as their escort. Ultimately, the Tuskegee Airmen
earned an indelible place in the history of air combat and in
the history of the United States.
3.Second highway named for the Tuskegee Airmen . SCR 90
(Anderson), Chapter 104, Resolutions of 2012, designated a
segment of Interstate 15 in San Diego County for the Tuskegee
Airmen. This resolution designates a second segment for this
same group of individuals.
4.Consistent with committee policy . This resolution is
consistent with all the provisions of the committee's policy
on highway designations.
SCR 45 (WOLK) Page 3
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday, June 5,
2013.)
SUPPORT: None received.
OPPOSED: None received.