BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: acr 156
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: weber
VERSION: 6/17/14
Analysis by: Mark Stivers FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: August 5, 2014
SUBJECT:
Itliong-Vera Cruz Memorial Bridge
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution designates an overpass in the City of San Diego
as the Itliong-Vera Cruz Memorial Bridge.
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 measure must represent the
district in which the facility is located, and the measure
must identify the specific highway segment or structure being
named.
If the segment of highway is being named for a specific
individual or individuals, it 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
designation.
This resolution designates the overpass on South Woodman Street
ACR 156 (WEBER) Page 2
that crosses State Route 54 in the City of San Diego as the
Itliong-Vera Cruz Memorial Bridge. This resolution further
requests that the Department of Transportation erect appropriate
signs upon receiving donations from non-state sources to cover
the costs.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose of the resolution . By naming this overpass for Mr.
Itliong and Mr. Vera Cruz, this resolution seeks to
memorialize their contributions to the American labor movement
and to the Filipino-American farm worker community in
particular.
2.The contributions of Mr. Itliong and Mr. Vera Cruz . Larry
Itliong was a Filipino-American labor leader and known as "one
of the fathers of the West Coast labor movement." In 1956, he
founded the Filipino Farm Labor Union. On September 8, 1965,
Filipino farm workers organized by Itliong began the grape
strike that would lead them and Chicano farm workers led by
C�sar Ch�vez to join forces to create the nation's pioneering
agricultural labor union, which later came to be known as the
United Farm Workers. From his retirement in 1971 until his
death in 1977, Mr. Itliong dedicated his life to improving the
lives of retired Filipino farm workers and to a wide variety
of community and civic projects, many of which were related to
the Filipino-American community.
Philip Vera Cruz was a Filipino-American labor leader, a farm
worker, and a leader and activist for the Asian-American civil
rights movement. He was one of the founders of the
Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, which later was
part of the merger that created the United Farm Workers. In
1965, Mr. Vera Cruz was instrumental in encouraging C�sar
Ch�vez's organization to join the grape strike and boycott.
From his retirement in 1977 to his death in 1994, Mr. Vera
Cruz continued to support the Filipino-American community and
fight for workers' rights.
3.Consistent with committee's policy . This resolution is
consistent with all the provisions of the committee's policy
on highway designations.
ACR 156 (WEBER) Page 3
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 75-0
Appr: 15-0
Trans: 15-0
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday, July 30,
2014.)
SUPPORT: Filipino American National Historical Society,
San Diego Chapter (Sponsor)
OPPOSED: None received.