BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: ACR 113
SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: Caballero
VERSION: 3/24/10
Analysis by: Mark Stivers FISCAL: Yes
Hearing date: May 4, 2010
SUBJECT:
Bracero Memorial Highway
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution names a portion of State Highway Route (SR) 101
in Monterey County as the Bracero Memorial Highway.
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:
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.
The person being honored must be deceased.
The naming must be done without cost to the state. Costs for
signs and plaques must be paid by local or private sources.
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.
The segment of highway being named must not exceed five miles
in length.
The proposed designation must reflect a community consensus
and be without local opposition.
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
ACR 113 (CABALLERO) Page 2
designation.
This resolution designates the 15-mile portion of SR 101 from
exit 302 near Soledad to exit 317 near Chualar in Monterey
County as the Bracero Memorial Highway. The resolution further
requests the Department of Transportation to erect appropriate
signs upon receiving donations from non-state sources to cover
the costs.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose of the resolution . By naming a segment of SR 101 for
the braceros, this resolution seeks to memorialize the
contributions and sacrifices of all the Mexican nationals who
came legally to California to alleviate a labor shortage
during World War II to work mostly in the agricultural and
railroad industries, especially those who perished in two
tragic, preventable incidents.
2.The accidents in Monterey County . The author has chosen the
location of this highway naming in order to recognize the
tragic loss of life that occurred in two separate accidents.
On June 17, 1958, approximately 50 Mexican Braceros were being
transported from a Soledad labor camp to perform field work in
the Salinas Valley. On the bed of the truck transporting the
workers were two gasoline cans, and the driver did not inform
the passengers that they should not smoke. One of the men lit
a match igniting a flash fire. Twelve men died immediately of
asphyxia and burns as they were trapped in the vehicle, two
more men later died, and an additional 17 braceros were
hospitalized.
On September 17, 1963, a truck illegally converted into a bus
that was transporting dozens of braceros to harvest celery for
$1 per hour was struck by on on-coming train near Chualar.
Thirty-two bracero farmworkers lost their lives, and another
24 were injured in the biggest single fatal vehicle accident
in California history and the worst of its type in United
States history.
3.Amendment needed to conform to committee's policy . This
resolution is inconsistent with one provision of the
committee's policy on highway designations. The committee
policy limits the length of named segments to five miles.
This resolution designates a 15-mile segment of SR 101. The
ACR 113 (CABALLERO) Page 3
author has agreed to an amendment to limit the naming to a
five-mile segment.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 73-0
Appr: 15-0
Trans: 13-0
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
April 28, 2010)
SUPPORT: Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los
Angeles
Services Immigration Rights & Education Network
The Bracero Program of Monterey County
OPPOSED: None received.