BILL ANALYSIS
SCR 5
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 11, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Mike Eng, Chair
SCR 5 (Runner) - As Introduced: December 2, 2008
SENATE VOTE : 37-0
SUBJECT : State Route 14
SUMMARY : Designates a segment of State Route (SR) 14 as the
Marine Corporal Christopher D. Leon Memorial Highway.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Recounts the life and career of Christopher D. Leon, a United
States Marine who died from injuries suffered in combat in the
western province of Al Anbar, Iraq.
2)Designates the segment of SR 14 between Avenue M and Avenue L
in the City of Lancaster as the Marine Corporal Christopher D.
Leon Memorial Highway.
3)Requests the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to
determine the cost of appropriate signs, consistent with the
signing requirements for the state highway system, showing the
special designation and, upon receiving donations from
nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.
EXISTING LAW : Assigns Caltrans the responsibility of operating
and maintaining state highways. This responsibility includes
the installation and maintenance of highway signs.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill was withdrawn from the
Senate Appropriations Committee pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
COMMENTS : Born in Thousand Oaks, Christopher Leon left for boot
camp in the Marine Corps in San Diego shortly after graduating
from Lancaster High School. He was described by fellow Corps
members as having a heart of a lion and this characteristic was
displayed on many occasions, including when he broke his foot
during a boot camp exercise called "the crucible" but still
managed to courageously finish 10 miles of hiking and more miles
of running with that broken foot.
Corporal Leon made rank quickly, obtaining his corporal's
SCR 5
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stripes before having served for two years, and was assigned to
the 5th Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), III Marine
Expeditionary Force, in Okinawa, Japan. He was trained to
quickly pinpoint the source of enemy fire from ground troops,
helicopters, or attack plans and then to direct counter-fire.
In 2006, 20-year-old Corporal Christopher D, Leon, serving as
chief radio operator for his company, died by sniper bullet
while protecting soldiers and Marines patrolling the insurgent
stronghold of Ramadi, west of Baghdad. At his memorial service
in Ramadi, Marine Captain Adam Blanton praised him as
"everything I could have asked for in a Marine."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
Opposition
None received
Analysis Prepared by : Howard Posner / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093