BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING Senator Jim Beall, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Bill No: SCR 139 Hearing Date: 6/21/2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Author: |Gaines | |----------+------------------------------------------------------| |Version: |6/9/2016 | ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Urgency: | |Fiscal: |Yes | ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Consultant|Randy Chinn | |: | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUBJECT: Merle Haggard Memorial Overpass DIGEST: This bill designates the overpass on Interstate 5 at the interchange of Interstate 5 and State Highway Route 44 as the Merle Haggard Memorial Overpass. ANALYSIS: Existing law: 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: 1)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 2)The person being honored must be deceased 3)The naming must be done without cost to the state. Costs for signs and plaques must be paid by local or private sources 4)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 SCR 139 (Gaines) Page 2 of ? 5)The segment of highway being named must not exceed five miles in length 6)The proposed designation must reflect a community consensus and be without local opposition 7)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 bill designates the overpass on Interstate 5 at the interchange of Interstate 5 and State Highway Route 44in the City of Redding as the Merle Haggard Memorial Overpass. 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 resolution is intended to honor the life and service of Merle Haggard. 2)Background. Merle Ronald Haggard was born on April 6, 1937 in Oildale, north of Bakersfield, California. In 1958 Merle Haggard was sentenced to San Quentin State Prison for burglary and an attempted escape from county jail. While serving a two-and-one-half year term, he played in the prison's country band and took high school equivalency courses. In 1965 he formed his own band before signing with Capitol Records. Their second album reached No. 1 on the country music charts the following year. During the remainder of the 1960's, Merle Haggard produced a string of No. 1 singles. Over his lifetime he released nearly 70 albums and 600 songs. In 1977 he was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 1994 he wa inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Merle Haggard died at home on his ranch in Palo Cedro in Shasta County on April 6, 2016. At the time of his death Merle Haggard was married to Theresa Lane. He had two children with Lane and three from a prior marriage. SCR 139 (Gaines) Page 3 of ? FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on Wednesday, June 15, 2016.) SUPPORT: None received OPPOSITION: None received -- END --