BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �






           SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE       BILL NO: SCR 64
          SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN              AUTHOR:  roth
                                                         VERSION: 8/12/13
          Analysis by:  Erin Riches                      FISCAL:  yes
          Hearing date:  August 20, 2013



          SUBJECT:

          Sergeant Gilbert Cortez, Sr. and K-9 Mattie Memorial Highway

          DESCRIPTION:

          This resolution designates a portion of State Highway Route 15  
          in Riverside County as the Sergeant Gilbert Cortez, Sr. and K-9  
          Mattie 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  
            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.
           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 15  




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          from Second Street in Norco to Limonite Avenue in Eastvale in  
          Riverside County as the "Sergeant Gilbert Cortez, Sr. and K-9  
          Mattie 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  .  The author introduced this resolution to honor the  
            life and service of Sgt. Gilbert Cortez, Sr. and his canine  
            partner, Mattie.
           2.Background  .  Sgt. Gilbert Cortez, Sr. started his law  
            enforcement career in 1990 when he began working at the  
            California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.  His  
            first assignment was the Institution for Men in Chino; a year  
            later he was transferred to the investigative unit at the  
            Calipatria State Prison.  In 2001, Sgt. Cortez was transferred  
            to Norco Prison to complete K-9 training, at which time he was  
            partnered with Mattie and assigned to the Southern Regional  
            K-9 Unit. 

            On March 25, 2013, Sgt. Cortez and Mattie were in the lead  
            vehicle of a convoy of a half dozen state corrections K-9  
            officers en route to inspect the La Cima Fire Camp in rural  
            San Diego County.  Sgt. Cortez' patrol vehicle veered off the  
            road and overturned, killing Mattie instantly.  Sgt. Cortez  
            was critically wounded and died shortly after the accident.   
            The cause of the crash is not known.   

            Sergeant Cortez is survived by his wife, two children, and his  
            parents.
                
            3.Consistent with committee policy  .  This resolution is  
            consistent with the provisions of the committee's policy on  
            highway designations.
          
          POSITIONS:  (Communicated to the committee before noon on  
          Wednesday,                                             August  
          14, 2013.)

               SUPPORT:  None received.

               OPPOSED:  None received.







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