California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent ResolutionNo. 178


Introduced by Assembly Member Gipson

May 3, 2016


Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 178—Relative to the Kevin Burrell and James MacDonald Memorial Highway and the Dess K. Phipps Memorial Highway.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 178, as introduced, Gipson. Kevin Burrell and James MacDonald Memorial Highway and the Dess K. Phipps Memorial Highway.

This measure would designate an unspecified portion of State Highway Route 91 in the County of Los Angeles as the Kevin Burrell and James MacDonald Memorial Highway and would designate an unspecified portion of State Highway Route 91 in the County of Los Angeles as the Dess K. Phipps Memorial Highway. The measure would request the Department of Transportation to determine the costs for appropriate signs, as specified, and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering those costs, to erect those signs.

Fiscal committee: yes.

P1    1WHEREAS, Kevin Michael Burrell and James Wayne
2MacDonald were police officers employed by the City of Compton,
3who dedicated their lives to keeping its citizens safe; and

4WHEREAS, Kevin Michael Burrell realized that being a police
5officer meant more than just making arrests; he possessed a level
6of unparalleled compassion and understanding, taking advantage
P2    1of every opportunity to help those less fortunate, and was lovingly
2known as the “Gentle Giant;” and

3WHEREAS, James Wayne MacDonald was admired by his
4peers and had an amazing personality and, although he was only
5required to work two shifts a month, instead chose to work two
6shifts a week; and

7WHEREAS, James Wayne MacDonald loved being a police
8officer and Kevin Michael Burrell was his favorite partner to ride
9with; and

10WHEREAS, On February 22, 1993, Kevin Michael Burrell and
11James Wayne MacDonald, ages 29 and 24, respectively, while
12working as patrol car partners in the City of Compton, were fatally
13shot by a violent gang member during a traffic stop at the
14intersection of Rosecrans Avenue and Dwight Avenue; and

15WHEREAS, Kevin Michael Burrell is survived by his son,
16Kevin Junior, his mother, Edna, his sister, Bridget, and his brothers,
17Biff, Kiki, Reggie, and Anthony, his father, Clark, having
18subsequently passed away; and

19WHEREAS, James Wayne MacDonald is survived by his
20mother, Toni, and his brother, Jon, his father, Jim, having
21subsequently passed away; and

22WHEREAS, Dess K. Phipps was a police officer employed by
23the City of Compton who dedicated his life to keeping the citizens
24of the City of Compton safe; and

25WHEREAS, Dess K. Phipps was born on June 17, 1925, in the
26City of Stidham in the County of McIntosh, Oklahoma, and grew
27up on a working farm in the City of Yuma, Arizona; and

28WHEREAS, Dess K. Phipps was a member of the United States
29Navy from June 16, 1934, to December 29, 1944, and was a veteran
30of World War II; and

31WHEREAS, At the age of 37, Dess K. Phipps is killed in the
32line of duty during a high speed vehicle pursuit of a criminal on
33October 12, 1962; and

34WHEREAS, Dess K. Phipps is survived by his brother, Williams
35Ross Phipps, and is succeeded in death by his loving wife, Pauline
36Verna Winder Phipps (2012), his parents Marion (1975) and
37Margaret Phipps (1994), and his other brother, Perry Lee Phipps
38(1998); now, therefore, be it

39Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
40thereof concurring,
That the Legislature hereby designates a portion
P3    1of State Highway Route 91 in the County of Los Angeles as the
2Kevin Burrell and James MacDonald Memorial Highway; and be
3it further

4Resolved,That the Legislature hereby designates a portion of
5State Highway Route 91 in the County of Los Angeles as the Dess
6K. Phipps Memorial Highway; and be it further

7Resolved,That the Department of Transportation is requested to
8determine the costs of erecting appropriate signs, which would
9include these special designations, consistent with the signing
10requirements for the state highway system, and, upon receiving
11donations from nonstate sources covering the costs, to erect those
12signs; and be it further

13Resolved,That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
14of this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author
15for appropriate distribution.



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