BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 34|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 34
Author: Roger Hernández (D), et al.
Amended: 7/8/13 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER COMMITTEE : 8-0, 06/11/13
AYES: Pavley, Cannella, Evans, Hueso, Jackson, Lara, Monning,
Wolk
NO VOTE RECORDED: Fuller
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 57-19, 4/29/13 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : State historical resources
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill establishes Nuestra Seńora Reina de La Paz
(La Paz) in Kern County as a state historical landmark and
prioritizes outreach and education regarding, and state
recognition of, historical resources associated with modern
history and social movements.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Requires the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to
consider recommendations by the State Historical Resources
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Commission (Commission) for state historic landmark
registration.
2. Establishes the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP), within
DPR, and requires OHP to perform certain duties, including
recommending properties of historical significance for
nomination by the Commission for, among other things, listing
in the California Register of Historic Resources (California
Register).
This bill:
1. Establishes Kern County as a state historical landmark and
prioritizes outreach and education regarding, and state
recognition of, historical resources associated with modern
history and social movements.
2. Requires the OHP to conduct public outreach and education
regarding the process for nominating sites for listing in the
California Register, especially resources associated with the
labor movement, the civil rights movement, and the state's
modern history by providing information in its quarterly
newsletter or other appropriate publications, and on the
OHP's Internet Web site.
3. Requires, by January 1, 2015, OHP to identify publicly owned
resources that may be appropriate for potential listing as
historical resources, historical landmarks, or points of
historical interest for their association with the labor
movement, the civil rights movement, or the state's modern
history. The OHP must report its findings to the Commission.
Defines "modern history" for this purpose as history on and
after 1940.
Background
DPR is required to register in the California Register as a
state historical landmark those buildings, structures, sites, or
places that DPR deems to be important historical resources of
various types, including being associated with an individual or
group having a profound influence on the history of California.
Applications for landmark status must contain certain
information and are submitted to OHP for review. Final approval
of landmark status is decided upon by DPR's director.
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In addition to the landmark program, existing law authorizes a
resource to be nominated for listing as a historical resource in
the California Register in accordance with specified nominating
procedures. State and local agencies, private groups and
citizens can identify, evaluate, and register a resource with
the California's historical resources. The California Register
program encourages public recognition and protection of
resources of architectural, historical, archeological, and
cultural significance. It identifies historical resources for
state and local planning purposes, determines eligibility for
state historic preservation grant funding and affords certain
other benefits. A resource must meet numerous criteria to
qualify for the California Register including:
Being associated with events that have made a significant
contribution to the broad patterns of local or regional
history or the cultural heritage of California or the United
States.
Being associated with the lives of persons important to local,
California or national history.
Embodying the distinctive characteristics of a type, period,
region or method of construction or represents the work of a
master or possesses high artistic values.
Yielding, or having the potential to yield, information
important to the prehistory or history of the local area,
California or the nation.
César E. Chávez was a union leader and union organizer who
employed nonviolent means to bring attention to farmworkers'
issues. In the 1950s he worked as a labor organizer, and later
founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962. The
union joined the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee in
1965 and together both organizations participated in the first
strike against grape growers in California. Soon after the
strike, the unions merged forming the United Farm Workers. In
1968, Chávez organized a national boycott of California table
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grape growers. As a result workers' conditions and compensation
improved. César Chávez led marches, called for boycotts and
went on hunger strikes. He also brought attention to the
dangers of pesticides to worker's health.
In 1970, the National Farm Workers Service Center Inc. acquired
the La Paz, a 187-acre farm in Kern County east of Bakersfield.
César Chávez relocated both the United Farm Workers headquarters
and his personal residence to this site. In 2010 the Villa La
Paz Conference & Education Center was established and includes
numerous features including a visitor's center, conference and
educational facilities, César Chávez residence, and the Chávez
Memorial Garden containing his grave site. La Paz's current
mission is to promote and preserve the legacy of César Chávez.
In 2011 the Commission included La Paz in the National Register
of Historic Places at the national level of significance. In
2012 President Obama announced the establishment of the César E.
Chávez National Monument on the La Paz property which brought
additional federal protections and benefits.
Existing California law provides that all sites on the national
register are automatically included on the California Register.
La Paz, therefore, is currently a state and federal historic
site, but is not listed as a California historical landmark.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 7/9/13)
CAFÉ DE California
California Communities United Institute
California Conference Board of the Amalgamated Transit Union
California Conference of Machinists
California Teamsters Public Affairs Council
Cesar Chavez Foundation
Engineers and Scientists of California
International Longshore and Warehouse Union
League of United Latin Americans Citizens
National Parks Conservation Association
Professional & Technical Engineers, Local 21
SEIU California State Council
Unite Here
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United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Western State Council
Utility Workers Union of America, Local 132
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : CAFÉ DE California states "AB 34 offers
a unique opportunity to recognize La Paz's historical role in
advancing the labor, civil rights, environmental protection, and
farmworker movements. From La Paz, the United Farm Workers of
America (UFW) fought to pass the California Agricultural Labor
Relations Act of 1975. Moreover, from the site, late civil
rights leader César E. Chávez met with industry leaders to serve
as a voice for the disenfranchised and poor."
According to the author, "this bill ensures in perpetuity the
distinctive modern history, civil rights and shared cultural
heritage of Nuestra Seńora Reina de La Paz."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 57-19, 4/29/13
AYES: Alejo, Ammiano, Bloom, Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla,
Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau,
Chávez, Chesbro, Cooley, Daly, Dickinson, Eggman, Fong, Fox,
Frazier, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gordon, Gray, Hall, Roger
Hernández, Holden, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Logue, Lowenthal,
Medina, Mitchell, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande,
Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva,
Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Torres, Weber,
Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
NOES: Achadjian, Allen, Bigelow, Dahle, Donnelly, Beth Gaines,
Gorell, Grove, Hagman, Harkey, Jones, Linder, Maienschein,
Mansoor, Melendez, Morrell, Patterson, Wagner, Waldron
NO VOTE RECORDED: Atkins, Conway, Wilk, Vacancy
RM:d 7/9/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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