Senate Joint Resolution No. 4

Introduced by Senator Lara

(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Atkins)

(Coauthors: Senators Galgiani, Hall, Hancock, Jackson, Leno, Leyva, Mitchell, Pavley, and Wolk)

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bonilla, Campos, Eggman, Cristina Garcia, Gonzalez, Gordon, and Low)

January 29, 2015

Senate Joint Resolution No. 4—Relative to the Sally Ride statue.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SJR 4, as introduced, Lara. Sally Ride statue.

This measure would memorialize the Congress of the United States to place a statue of Sally Ride next to the statue of former President Ronald Reagan in the Congressional collection representing California.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, By act of the Congress of the United States, each
state is invited to provide two statues of distinguished citizens for
display in the United States Capitol; and

WHEREAS, California, in years past, provided two statues of
notable citizens that have been displayed in the United States
Capitol; and

WHEREAS, One of those statues is of Father Junipero Serra
who is known as an eloquent preacher and founder of numerous
missions throughout California; and

WHEREAS, Father Junipero Serra can best be memorialized
by locating his statue in a place of honor in the Capitol of
California where citizens and visitors can enjoy it and be reminded
of his significant historical impact upon our state; and

WHEREAS, California has a citizen born in California, Sally
Kristen Ride, Ph.D., who is exceptionally worthy of national
commemoration. She stands alone in California and American
history as a pioneer in space exploration, academia, and as a role
model to Americans everywhere; and

WHEREAS, On June 18, 1983, Sally Ride became the first
American woman and youngest person to go into space when she
traveled aboard the Challenger; and

WHEREAS, Sally Ride served her country, California, and
future generations as a member of the President’s Committee of
Advisors on Science and Technology; director of the California
Space Institute; inductee into the National Women’s Hall of Fame,
the California Hall of Fame, the Aviation Hall of Fame, and the
Astronaut Hall of Fame; recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public
Service, the von Braun Award, the Lindbergh Eagle, the NCAA’s
Theodore Roosevelt Award, and the NASA Space Flight Medal
(twice); and

WHEREAS, Sally Ride has posthumously received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor bestowed
in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the People of California wish to place a statue of
Sally Kristen Ride, Ph.D. in Statuary Hall in the United States
Capitol; and

WHEREAS, The Commission on the Status of Women shall
select a commission to represent the state in selecting the sculptor
or sculptors to sculpt the statue and obtain the necessary funds to
carry out this resolution; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California
respectfully memorializes the Congress of the United States to
place a statue of Sally Kristen Ride alongside the statue of former
President Ronald Reagan in the Congressional collection
representing the State of California; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Majority
Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from
California in the Congress of the United States.