California 2021 2021-2022 Regular Session

California Assembly Bill ACR177 Amended / Bill

Filed 08/25/2022

                    Amended IN  Senate  August 25, 2022 Amended IN  Assembly  May 23, 2022 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 177Introduced by Assembly Members Bloom and Ramos(Coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Alvarez, Arambula, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner Horvath, Mia Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Choi, Cooper, Megan Dahle, Daly, Davies, Flora, Mike Fong, Friedman, Gabriel, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Haney, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lee, Levine, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, McCarty, McKinnor, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, ODonnell, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Santiago, Smith, Stone, Ting, Valladares, Villapudua, Waldron, Ward, Akilah Weber, Wicks, Wilson, and Wood)April 18, 2022Relative to the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTACR 177, as amended, Bloom. Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway: removal of designation. This measure would request that the Department of Transportation remove the The Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway designation from the portion of Interstate 10 in the state, as well as any signage and markers memorializing that designation, and advise the Federal Highway Administration of the states action.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: YES Bill TextWHEREAS, Interstate 10 in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida is a transcontinental route of almost 3,000 miles, traveled by millions of Americans throughout the year; and WHEREAS, In 1976, the Legislature designated the portion of Interstate 10 in California as The Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway as a way to celebrate him as a distinguished pioneer, revered by millions for his exploits; and WHEREAS, Today, it is widely and accurately accepted that Christopher Columbus did not discover America; rather, he was responsible for atrocities including murder, rape, slave trade, and contributing to the death of millions of Indigenous peoples; and WHEREAS, It is understood that the image of Christopher Columbus should not be celebrated anywhere, yet today, publicly funded or sponsored statues, signs, and designations, including The Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway, still remain as visible indications that his memory should be honored; andWHEREAS, Government-approved and required signs and markers that exalt Christopher Columbus, a historical figure who was a proven murderer and slave trader, are demeaning and disparaging to Native American and Indigenous people, including children, and harmfully misrepresent history in the name of the people, and the removal of these signs and markers is long overdue; andWHEREAS, The American Psychological Association and other professional organizations have documented and conducted studies that have found that exposure to signs and markers that exalt Christopher Columbus cause psychological harm to Native American and Indigenous children and youth and erodes their self-worth and self-image; andWHEREAS, Christopher Columbus provided the impetus for European colonization of North America; andWHEREAS, That colonization and conquest led directly to the confiscation of land from indigenous people, displacement, and enslavement; andWHEREAS, Millions of indigenous people suffered violent death from the conquest, disease, and forced slave labor; andWHEREAS, Proper and appropriate restitution and contrition have not been memorialized, documented, or enacted; andWHEREAS, The state has a responsibility to promote and enhance safety for all residents and uplift truth, dignity, and justice for all; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature request the Department of Transportation to remove the The Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway designation from the portion of Interstate 10 in California, as well as any signage and markers memorializing that designation, and advise the Federal Highway Administration of the states action; and be it furtherResolved, That this effectively overturns and reverses ACR 106 (Resolution Chapter 71 of the Statutes of 1976); and be it furtherResolved, That if there are any efforts to replace the removed signage, these efforts should involve public input and feedback, including input and participation from the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the legislatures of the other states that Interstate 10 passes through with a request that they take similar action; and be it furtherResolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly also transmit copies of this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the Executive Director of the Federal Highway Administration.

 Amended IN  Senate  August 25, 2022 Amended IN  Assembly  May 23, 2022 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 177Introduced by Assembly Members Bloom and Ramos(Coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Alvarez, Arambula, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner Horvath, Mia Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Choi, Cooper, Megan Dahle, Daly, Davies, Flora, Mike Fong, Friedman, Gabriel, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Haney, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lee, Levine, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, McCarty, McKinnor, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, ODonnell, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Santiago, Smith, Stone, Ting, Valladares, Villapudua, Waldron, Ward, Akilah Weber, Wicks, Wilson, and Wood)April 18, 2022Relative to the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTACR 177, as amended, Bloom. Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway: removal of designation. This measure would request that the Department of Transportation remove the The Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway designation from the portion of Interstate 10 in the state, as well as any signage and markers memorializing that designation, and advise the Federal Highway Administration of the states action.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: YES 

 Amended IN  Senate  August 25, 2022 Amended IN  Assembly  May 23, 2022

Amended IN  Senate  August 25, 2022
Amended IN  Assembly  May 23, 2022

 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION

 Assembly Concurrent Resolution 

No. 177

Introduced by Assembly Members Bloom and Ramos(Coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Alvarez, Arambula, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner Horvath, Mia Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Choi, Cooper, Megan Dahle, Daly, Davies, Flora, Mike Fong, Friedman, Gabriel, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Haney, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lee, Levine, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, McCarty, McKinnor, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, ODonnell, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Santiago, Smith, Stone, Ting, Valladares, Villapudua, Waldron, Ward, Akilah Weber, Wicks, Wilson, and Wood)April 18, 2022

Introduced by Assembly Members Bloom and Ramos(Coauthors: Assembly Members Aguiar-Curry, Alvarez, Arambula, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Berman, Boerner Horvath, Mia Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Choi, Cooper, Megan Dahle, Daly, Davies, Flora, Mike Fong, Friedman, Gabriel, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Haney, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lee, Levine, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, McCarty, McKinnor, Medina, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, ODonnell, Petrie-Norris, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Santiago, Smith, Stone, Ting, Valladares, Villapudua, Waldron, Ward, Akilah Weber, Wicks, Wilson, and Wood)
April 18, 2022

Relative to the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway. 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

ACR 177, as amended, Bloom. Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway: removal of designation.

 This measure would request that the Department of Transportation remove the The Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway designation from the portion of Interstate 10 in the state, as well as any signage and markers memorializing that designation, and advise the Federal Highway Administration of the states action.

 This measure would request that the Department of Transportation remove the The Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway designation from the portion of Interstate 10 in the state, as well as any signage and markers memorializing that designation, and advise the Federal Highway Administration of the states action.

## Digest Key

## Bill Text

WHEREAS, Interstate 10 in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida is a transcontinental route of almost 3,000 miles, traveled by millions of Americans throughout the year; and 

WHEREAS, In 1976, the Legislature designated the portion of Interstate 10 in California as The Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway as a way to celebrate him as a distinguished pioneer, revered by millions for his exploits; and 

WHEREAS, Today, it is widely and accurately accepted that Christopher Columbus did not discover America; rather, he was responsible for atrocities including murder, rape, slave trade, and contributing to the death of millions of Indigenous peoples; and 

WHEREAS, It is understood that the image of Christopher Columbus should not be celebrated anywhere, yet today, publicly funded or sponsored statues, signs, and designations, including The Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway, still remain as visible indications that his memory should be honored; and



WHEREAS, Government-approved and required signs and markers that exalt Christopher Columbus, a historical figure who was a proven murderer and slave trader, are demeaning and disparaging to Native American and Indigenous people, including children, and harmfully misrepresent history in the name of the people, and the removal of these signs and markers is long overdue; and



WHEREAS, The American Psychological Association and other professional organizations have documented and conducted studies that have found that exposure to signs and markers that exalt Christopher Columbus cause psychological harm to Native American and Indigenous children and youth and erodes their self-worth and self-image; and



WHEREAS, Christopher Columbus provided the impetus for European colonization of North America; and

WHEREAS, That colonization and conquest led directly to the confiscation of land from indigenous people, displacement, and enslavement; and

WHEREAS, Millions of indigenous people suffered violent death from the conquest, disease, and forced slave labor; and

WHEREAS, Proper and appropriate restitution and contrition have not been memorialized, documented, or enacted; and

WHEREAS, The state has a responsibility to promote and enhance safety for all residents and uplift truth, dignity, and justice for all; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature request the Department of Transportation to remove the The Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway designation from the portion of Interstate 10 in California, as well as any signage and markers memorializing that designation, and advise the Federal Highway Administration of the states action; and be it further

Resolved, That this effectively overturns and reverses ACR 106 (Resolution Chapter 71 of the Statutes of 1976); and be it further

Resolved, That if there are any efforts to replace the removed signage, these efforts should involve public input and feedback, including input and participation from the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission; and be it further 

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the legislatures of the other states that Interstate 10 passes through with a request that they take similar action; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly also transmit copies of this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the Executive Director of the Federal Highway Administration.