California Assembly Bill ACR50 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: ACR 50AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY FEBRUARY 21, 2012 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY FEBRUARY 9, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Garrick  (   Principal coauthor:   Senator   Corbett   )  APRIL 7, 2011 Relative to Irish American Heritage Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 50, as amended, Garrick. Irish American Heritage Month. This measure would designate March 2012 as Irish American Heritage Month in California, and call upon the people of the state to observe Irish American Heritage Month with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities. Fiscal committee: no. WHEREAS, Millions of Irish people, faced with severe hardship due to famine and poverty in their nation, immigrated to the United States over the last several centuries in search of a more promising future for themselves and their families; and WHEREAS, Irish Americans initially suffered prejudice and discrimination upon first arriving in the United States. As the years went on, Irish Americans became very involved in the community and made numerous contributions in all aspects of American society and culture, especially in California; and WHEREAS, Irish Americans played vital roles in the development of the United States. Nine Irish Americans were signers of the Declaration of Independence, and 19 Presidents of the United States have been of Irish heritage, including John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama; and WHEREAS, Many Irish Americans have played critical roles in federal politics, including George Murphy, United States Senator, and John Tunney, United States Senator; and WHEREAS, Many people of Irish descent have contributed to great movements that have helped to shape our country and its role in the world, including Mother Jones, labor activist; Lucy Burns, activist in the Women's Movement; and United States Senator George Mitchell, negotiator of the Irish Peace Accord; and WHEREAS, Irish Americans have  also  played a major role in California politics. Many governors, legislative leaders, city mayors, and other public officials who have shaped the development of California over the years have been of Irish descent; and WHEREAS, Irish Americans were very involved in the development of infrastructure throughout the United States, especially in California. This included work on railroads and bridges that connected the west to the east. The Irish were also instrumental in the building of dams, roads, canals, and buildings that expanded greatly in the late 1800s; and WHEREAS, Many Irish Americans have made their mark in the pursuit of public safety and have risked or lost their lives carrying out their duties; and WHEREAS, Irish Americans have served with distinction in every war that this nation has fought. Many of the outstanding soldiers who fought for American freedom in the Revolutionary War were of Irish descent. Since then, Irish Americans have sacrificed their lives in every war that the United States has fought; and WHEREAS, Many Irish Americans have contributed greatly to the United States economy in business, including Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company; Alexander Stewart, the inventor of the American department store; Cathleen Black, president of Hearst Publishing; Jack Welch, former president and chief executive officer of General Electric; and Herb Kelleher, cofounder of Southwest Airlines; and WHEREAS, Irish Americans have contributed to the field of science, including: Michael Collins, astronaut; Eileen Collins, first female commander of a space shuttle; Charles Townes, physicist and Nobel Laureate; and James Collins, bioengineer and MacArthur Fellow; and WHEREAS, Irish Americans have contributed to the American literary tradition through great authors, including Flannery O'Connor, Eugene O'Neill, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mary McCarthy, Tom Clancy, and Frank McCourt; and WHEREAS, Irish Americans have contributed to American entertainment through such stars as actors Jack Nicholson, John Wayne, and George Clooney; actor and comedian Bill Murray; actress Grace Kelly; actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell; actor and singer Bing Crosby; actress and singer Rosemary Clooney; and actor and director Edward Burns; and WHEREAS, Today, over 44 million Americans claim Irish heritage, and they continue to contribute to the American and California political, economic, and cultural landscapes; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature, in honor of the multitude of contributions that Irish Americans have made to make this a better country and state for all people, designates March 2012 to be Irish American Heritage Month in California, and calls upon the people of the state to observe Irish American Heritiage Month with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities, especially on March 17, since everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.