BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SJR 4
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SENATE THIRD READING
SJR
4 (Lara)
As Amended March 18, 2015
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE: 22-10
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|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Arts |6-0 |Calderon, Obernolte, | |
| | |Chu, Levine, Medina, | |
| | |Nazarian | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY: This resolution memorializes 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 and to replace the statue of
Father Junipero Serra, currently one of two statues representing
California in Statuary Hall. Specifically, this resolution:
1)Memorializes the Congress of the United States to place a
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statue of Sally Ride next to the statue of former President
Ronald Reagan in the Congressional collection representing
California.
2)Specifies that Father Junipero Serra can best be memorialized
by locating his statue in a place of honor in California where
citizens and visitors can enjoy it and be reminded of his
significant historical impact upon the state.
3)Specifies that California has a citizen born in California,
Sally Kristen Ride, Ph.D., who is exceptionally worthy of
national commemoration.
4)Specifies that Sally Ride stands alone in California and
American history as a pioneer in space exploration, academia,
and as a role model to Americans everywhere.
5)Specifies that on June 18, 1983, Sally Ride became the first
American woman and youngest American to go into space when she
traveled aboard the Challenger.
6)Specifies that 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.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown. This resolution is keyed non-fiscal by
the Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS: According to the author, this resolution declares
that the California Legislature supports memorializing the
Congress of the United States to place a statue of Dr. Sally
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Ride alongside the statue of former President Ronald Reagan in
the congressional collection representing California. This
resolution also proposes relocating the statue of Father Serra
to a location in California where citizens and visitors can
enjoy it and be reminded of his significant historical impact
upon our state. Dr. Ride would become the first woman to
represent California and the first member of the lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community represented in
Statuary Hall, a move which is supported by women's rights
advocates and the LGBT communities.
The creation of the National Statuary Hall Collection was
authorized by the United States Congress in 1864 to allow each
state to provide two statues of notable citizens for display in
the United States Capitol. The Joint Committee on the Library
of Congress has oversight of the collection, and under the
committee's direction the Architect of the Capitol is
responsible for the reception, placement, and care of the
statues. In 2000, federal legislation was enacted that allowed
any state to request the Joint Committee on the Library of
Congress to approve the replacement of a statue the state had
previously provided. Since passage, only a handful of statues
have been replaced, including by California in 2009 which
substituted a statute honoring Thomas Starr King with one of
former Governor and President Ronald Reagan. Federal
legislation requires that the request be approved by a
resolution adopted by the legislature of the state and approved
by the Governor of the state. Furthermore, the statue to be
replaced has to have been displayed for at least 10 years.
Before submitting a request to the Joint Committee on the
Library of Congress the state must also select a committee or
commission to represent the state in selecting the sculptor, and
directs the method of obtaining the necessary funds to carry the
resolution into effect.
This resolution, if adopted, would fulfill the requirements and
begin the lengthy process of replacement of Father Serra with
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Dr. Sally Ride as a representative of California in Statuary
Hall. This proposal has generated objection from the California
Catholic Conference, who believes Father Serra is a founding
father of our state, and given that he is set to become a Saint
for his work here later this year, now is not the time to remove
his tributary statue from Statuary Hall.
Please see the policy committee analysis for a full discussion
of this measure.
Analysis Prepared by:
Dana Mitchell / A.,E.,S.,T., & I.M. / (916)
319-3450
FN: 0001115