BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: acr 41
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: Mitchell
VERSION: 6/7/11
Analysis by: Art Bauer FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: June 14, 2011
SUBJECT:
California Highway Patrol Officer Philip Dennis Ortiz Memorial
Highway
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution designates a short segment of Interstate 405 in
Los Angeles County as the California High Patrol Officer (CHP)
Philip Dennis Ortiz 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
ACR 41 (MITCHELL) Page 2
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.
This resolution designates a four-mile segment of Interstate 405
in Los Angeles County as the CHP Officer Philip Dennis Ortiz
Memorial Highway. 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 . This resolution is intended to honor CHP Officer
Philip Dennis Ortiz, who died in the line of duty.
2)Summary of Officer Ortiz's life . In 1982, Philip Dennis Ortiz
realized a life-long dream, when he graduated from the CHP
Academy and was assigned to the central Los Angeles area
office. After more than seven years of service in the central
Los Angeles area, CHP Officer Ortiz was transferred to the
west Los Angeles area, where he spent the remainder of his
career.
CHP officer Ortiz performed several duties over the course of
his career, some of which included a motorcycle officer, a
motorcycle officer in charge of training the officers who
successfully passed motor school, a weapons/range officer,
physical-methods of arrest (PMA) instructor, and protective
services detail (PSD). CHP Officer Ortiz was married to his
wife, Jessica, in 1983.
On June 22, 2010, CHP Officer Philip Dennis Ortiz pulled a
vehicle over for a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane
violation. As he approached the vehicle, another car driving
along the shoulder struck Officer Ortiz and his motorcycle.
Officer Ortiz was transported to the Ronald Reagan UCLA
Medical Center where he remained until his passing almost two
weeks later. He was admired for his professionalism,
dedication, honesty, loyalty, respect, courage, and espirit de
corps. He consistently represented the best of the CHP and
was an outstanding role model.
ACR 41 (MITCHELL) Page 3
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 74-1
Appr: 15-1
Trans: 13-1
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
June 8, 2011)
SUPPORT: California Association of Highway Patrolmen
(sponsor)
OPPOSED: None received.