BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: scr 4
SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: desaulnier
VERSION: 3/2409
Analysis by: Carrie Cornwell FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: March 31, 2009
SUBJECT:
Senator Daniel E. Boatwright Highway
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution designates State Highway Route (SR) 680 between
the Benicia-Martinez Bridge in Contra Costa County and SR 24 in
the City of Walnut Creek as the Senator Daniel E. Boatwright
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 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 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
designation.
SCR 4 (DESAULNIER) Page 2
This resolution designates SR 680 between the Benicia-Martinez
Bridge in Contra Costa County and SR 24 in the City of Walnut
Creek as the Daniel E. Boatwright Highway. The resolution
further requests Caltrans to erect appropriate signs upon
receiving donations from non-state sources to cover the costs.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose . The author introduced this resolution to honor former
Senator Boatwright for his service to California and to Contra
Costa County.
2.Senator Boatwright's contributions . Daniel E. Boatwright was
born in Harrison, Arkansas. At a young age he moved with his
family to California, where he attended public schools in the
City of Vallejo. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea as an
infantryman, and he attended Vallejo Junior College where he
showed early signs of distinction with his service as chairman
of the student council and, eventually, as chairman of the
California Community Colleges Student Council Association.
After transferring to the University of California at
Berkeley, Dan Boatwright received both his Bachelor of Arts
degree and a law degree there. He served as a deputy district
attorney in Contra Costa County, eventually becoming the chief
trial deputy under then District Attorney John Nejedly.
In 1980, after eight years of service in the State Assembly,
Dan Boatwright was first elected to the 7th District of the
California State Senate, where he served for 16 years. During
his 24 years of service in the State Legislature, Senator
Boatwright authored more than 350 laws and held several
prominent committee chairmanships in each house, including the
Assembly and Senate Revenue and Taxation Committees, the
Assembly Ways and Means Committee, and the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
From 1982 through 1992, Senator Boatwright worked tirelessly
with Caltrans, the California Transportation Commission (CTC),
and the Department of Finance (DOF) to secure funding and
accelerate the construction and completion of SR 680 lane
additions and the SR 680 and SR 24 interchange in Contra Costa
County.
SCR 4 (DESAULNIER) Page 3
3.Consistent with committee's policy . This resolution is
consistent with all the provisions of the committee's policy
on highway designations.
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
March 25, 2009)
SUPPORT: American Federation of State, County and
Municipal Employees
OPPOSED: None received.