Bill Text: CA AR23 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Relative to youth.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 53-3)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-09-06 - Read. Amended. Adopted. (Page 2946.). [AR23 Detail]

Download: California-2013-AR23-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: HR 23	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bradford
    (   Coauthors:   Assembly Members 
 Achadjian,  Alejo,   Ammiano,  
Atkins,   Bloom,   Bocanegra,   Bonilla,
  Bonta,   Brown,   Buchanan,  
Ian Calderon,   Campos,   Chau,   Chávez,
  Chesbro,   Cooley,  Daly,  
Dickinson,   Eggman,   Fong,   Fox, 
 Frazier,   Garcia,   Gatto,   Gomez,
  Gonzalez,   Gordon,   Gray,  
Hall,   Roger Hernández,   Holden,  
Jones-Sawyer,   Levine,   Lowenthal,  
Medina,   Mitchell,   Mullin,  
Muratsuchi,   Nazarian,   Pan,   Perea,
  John A. Pérez,   V. Manuel Pérez,  
Quirk,   Quirk-Silva,   Rendon,   Salas,
  Skinner,   Stone,   Ting,  
Weber,   Wieckowski,  Wilk,   Williams,
  and Yamada   ) 

                        AUGUST 8, 2013

   Relative to youth.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
             HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST



   WHEREAS, The criminalization of African American, Latino, and
Asian and Pacific Islander youth continues to pervade our social,
educational, political, and cultural systems; and
   WHEREAS, Boys and men of color throughout California continue to
face unnecessary hurdles in education, in opportunities to work, in
public safety, and in other areas based on preconceived notions and
fear; and
   WHEREAS, The verdict in the case against George Zimmerman for the
killing of Trayvon Martin was deeply troubling to many young people
and to Californians in general. Many have interpreted the ruling to
signify that there are two separate but unequal justice systems for
whites and nonwhites, that fearing a black and brown youth can
justify the taking of a life, and that simply walking down the street
or wearing certain clothes is viewed as criminal; and
   WHEREAS, California's boys and men of color face unique barriers
on their road to adulthood. They are more likely to grow up in
neighborhoods marked by poverty, violence, underfunded schools, and
low-wage jobs; and
   WHEREAS, In California, 35 percent of African American youth and
26 percent of Latino youth do not graduate from high school; and
   WHEREAS, Young African American men experience homicide rates at
least 16 times greater than that of young white men; and
   WHEREAS, Racial profiling continues to exist throughout this
state, and our young people deserve better; and
   WHEREAS, It is essential that all Californians examine their
prejudices and biases so that we can work toward a world in which all
people are judged by the content of their character and their
actions, and not by the color of their skin; and
   WHEREAS, All lives are valuable, and none are disposable; and
   WHEREAS, All people, regardless of the color of their skin, should
be able to enjoy the basic liberty that many of us take for granted,
including the freedom to walk down the street; and
   WHEREAS, Laws like Florida's Stand Your Ground law risk escalating
minor confrontations with tragic results. We need to find ways to
defuse conflicts, and not escalate them; and
   WHEREAS, The best way to honor the memory of Trayvon Martin is to
channel our pain and frustration into our work to create an inclusive
California in which our communities need not fear our sons and
brothers walking down the street; and
   WHEREAS, Trayvon Martin's death is not in vain. The tragedy is a
catalyst to create a California that embraces and invests in the
health and well-being of all young people. They are a source of
strength, creativity, and economic dynamism, and not a group that
should be feared or condemned. California's diversity is its greatest
strength and a competitive advantage; and
   WHEREAS, The Legislature is taking action through legislation,
budget decisions, and through the Legislative oversight function to
ensure that the needs of California's boys and men of color are a
priority in state investments and programs; and
   WHEREAS, The Assembly has established the Select Committee on the
Status of Boys and Men of Color to help put our young people on a
road to a healthy and successful adulthood because successful young
people are not born, they are nurtured; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
Assembly encourages the Select Committee on the Status of Boys and
Men of Color to continue to advance its legislative agenda to improve
the lives of young people of color, including its work to reduce the
use of policies and practices that push boys out of school and to
instead promote common sense discipline that keeps pupils in school
and on track; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Assembly encourages the Select Committee on the
Status of Boys and Men of Color to deepen its commitment to prepare
young men of color for success in the workplace and in the
marketplace and to increase the numbers of young men of color who are
prepared for jobs and professional careers in the health, education,
and green infrastructure sectors; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Assembly further encourages the Select
Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color to support growing
state and national efforts to shine a spotlight on the needs and
aspirations of young men of color across the United States, including
the newly formed Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys; and be
it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.