Senate Concurrent ResolutionNo. 106


Introduced by Senator Jackson

February 3, 2016


Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 106—Relative to California Court Reporting and Captioning Week.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 106, as introduced, Jackson. California Court Reporting and Captioning Week.

This measure would proclaim the week of February 14, 2016, through February 20, 2016, as California Court Reporting and Captioning Week and request the Governor to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the great State of California to observe the week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and educational activities.

Fiscal committee: no.

P1    1WHEREAS, For millennia, individuals have wanted the spoken
2word translated into text to record history and to accomplish this
3task have relied on scribes; and

4WHEREAS, The profession of scribe was born with the rise of
5civilization; and

6WHEREAS, In ancient Egypt, scribes were considered to be
7the literate elite, recording laws and other important documents
8and, since that time, have served as impartial witnesses to history;
9and

10WHEREAS, Scribes were present with our nation’s founding
11fathers as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights
12were drafted; and

13WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln entrusted scribes to
14record the Emancipation Proclamation; and

P2    1WHEREAS, Since the advent of shorthand machines, these
2scribes have been known as court reporters and have played a
3permanent and invaluable role across our country; and

4WHEREAS, Court reporters are present in the California State
5Legislature, preserving legislators’ words and actions; and

6WHEREAS, Court reporters and captioners are responsible for
7keeping a complete, accurate, secure, and unbiased record of
8courtroom proceedings and other legal matters, including civil
9depositions; and

10WHEREAS, Through the Transcript Reimbursement Fund,
11court reporters fund and are responsible for providing courtroom
12transcripts to indigent litigants; and

13WHEREAS, Court reporters and captioners are responsible for
14the closed captioning seen scrolling across television screens, at
15sporting stadiums, and in other community and educational settings,
16bringing information to millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing
17Americans every day; and

18WHEREAS, Court reporters regularly volunteer to document
19educational events and to capture veterans’ oral histories at
20community events; and

21WHEREAS, There are an estimated 8,500 Californians working
22as court reporters and captioners; and

23WHEREAS, Court reporters and captioners translate the spoken
24word into text and preserve our history; and

25WHEREAS, Whether called the scribes of yesterday or the court
26reporters and captioners of today, the individuals who preserve
27our nation’s history are truly the guardians of the record; now,
28therefore, be it

29Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
30thereof concurring,
That the Legislature proclaims February 14,
312016, through February 20, 2016, as California Court Reporting
32and Captioning Week, and requests that the Governor issue a
33proclamation calling on the people of the great State of California
34to observe the day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and
35educational activities; and be it further

36Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
37this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.



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