BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: acr 12
SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: blakeslee
VERSION: 6/10/09
Analysis by: Art Bauer FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: June 16, 2008
SUBJECT:
National Purple Heart Trail
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution designates a segment of State Route (SR) 101 in
Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties for
inclusion in the National Purple Heart Trail.
ANALYSIS:
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:
a. 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 is located.
b. The naming must be done without cost to the state. Costs
for signs and plaques must be paid by local or private
sources.
c. 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.
d. The proposed designation must reflect a community
consensus and be without local opposition.
e. The proposed designation may not supersede an existing
ACR 12 (BLAKESLEE) Page 2
designation unless the sponsor can document that a good
faith effort has uncovered no opposition to rescinding the
prior designation.
This resolution designates a segment SR 101 from mile marker
9.67 in Monterey County to mile marker 36.16 in a Santa Barbara
County for inclusion in the National Purple Heart Trail system.
The resolution further requests the Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) to erect appropriate signs upon receiving donations
from non-state sources to cover the costs.
COMMENTS:
1. Purpose . According to the Military Order of the Purple
Heart of the USA, a congressionally-chartered veterans'
service organization, the purpose of the Purple Heart Trail
is to create a symbolic and honorary system of roads,
highways, bridges, and other monuments that give tribute to
the men and women who have been awarded the Purple Heart
medal. The Purple Heart Trail accomplishes this honorary
goal by creating a visual reminder to highway users by
placing signs designating a segment of highway a part of
the Purple Heart Trail. The author believes that the
central coast is home to many veterans' museums and
memorials and that the proposed Purple Heart Trail
designation will join Camp Roberts with Camp San Luis
Obispo. He also points out that local veterans are creating
a veterans' recognition corridor and hope this location
will become an ongoing memorial for veterans and their
families.
2. Segments of Route 101 already named . According to
Caltrans there are segment of SR 101 designated by this
resolution that are already named in memory of deceased
individuals. In addition, the highway is also designated as
a Blue Star Memorial Highway. Caltrans believes there is no
conflict assigning multiple designations and a single name
to specific highway segments.
3. Resolution consistent with committee policy . The
committee's policy regarding naming or designating a
segment of highway requires that the segment identified in
the naming resolution must be in the member's district. The
segment of highway named in this resolution is in the
districts of both the author and the co-author. It is,
therefore, consistent with committee policy.
ACR 12 (BLAKESLEE) Page 3
4. Previous legislation . SCR 14 (Oller), Resolution Chapter
79, Statutes of 2001, included segments of SR 5 and SR 80
within the National Purple Heart Trail.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 79-0
Appr: 16-0
Trans: 14-0
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
June 10, 2009)
SUPPORT: Aegis, Medical Systems, Inc.
American Legion of California
American Legion Cambria, Post 432
American Legion San Luis Obispo, Post 66
American Legion Rider, Paso Robles
Central Coast Leatherneck Honor Guard
Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum
Kiwanis Club of Atascadero
Marine Corps League Central Coast Detachment #680
Marine Corps Reserve
Military Order of the World Wars, General Hoyt S.
Vandenberg Chapter
Surfers
Veterans of Foreign Wars Atascadero Post No. 2814
Veterans Service Office, County of San Luis
Obispo
Vietnam Veterans of America, California State
Council
Several individuals
OPPOSED: None received.