Bill Text: CA AJR9 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Assembly Joint Resolution 9 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: The March for Science.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 54-8)

Status: (Passed) 2017-09-19 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 162, Statutes of 2017. [AJR9 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AJR9-Chaptered.html

Assembly Joint Resolution No. 9

CHAPTER 162

Relative to the March for Science.

[ Filed with Secretary of State September 19, 2017. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AJR 9, Mark Stone. The March for Science.

This measure would support the April 22, 2017, March for Science and affirm the importance of basic and applied scientific research, the scientific education of all schoolchildren, and the foundational role of independent, rigorous scientific discovery and inquiry in the policymaking process at all levels. The measure would urge the President and Congress of the United States to work together to support, encourage, and heed the truths established by scientists and scientific research in policymaking to keep the United States of America the world’s global leader in scientific research and business innovation.

Fiscal Committee: NO

WHEREAS, The people of this nation are driven to seek truth through rigorous, creative, and unceasing inquiry and discovery; and

WHEREAS, The scientific method is the process by which we collectively understand and add to our knowledge of the world; and

WHEREAS, Science is the endless frontier and through its methods, we cultivate the pioneer spirit that enlivens our nation and prods us toward the continued improvement of our society; and

WHEREAS, Scientific research drives California’s economy and our state attracts more than one-fifth of all United States research funding, amounting to upwards of $90 billion per year, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) credits research and development spending with 50 to 70 percent of all productivity growth; and

WHEREAS, Basic and applied research from universities, government laboratories, and private industry contributes to our state’s economy by driving advancements in information technology, clean energy, communications, medical science, agricultural production, manufacturing and materials, and more; and

WHEREAS, Through medical science discoveries, our longevity and quality of life have increased and we have banished from daily life once-common diseases such as polio, measles, and typhoid. We have also constructed artificial hearts, mapped the human genome, and begun to understand the human brain. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) cites that for every $1 of research funding, $2.12 in additional economic output is generated in the broader economy within 12 months; and

WHEREAS, Science has led to a better understanding of environmental challenges, including the adverse economic and health impacts of pollution. Science is what led President Richard Nixon to found the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1970 as well as sign the Clean Air Act of 1970 and the Clean Water Act of 1972. Science is what led President Ronald Reagan to sign the Montreal Protocol in 1989 to protect the ozone layer. These environmental and regulatory protections have cleaned our air, made our water safe to drink, and improved the overall health of all Americans; and

WHEREAS, Science demonstrates that climate change is occurring and driven primarily by anthropogenic carbon pollution. Science is what led President Barack Obama to direct the United States Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate the Clean Power Plan and join the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement to address the impacts of climate change; and

WHEREAS, Addressing environmental justice and health equity issues is critically dependent upon unfettered scientific research that serves the common good, and not just those in power; and

WHEREAS, Science education is a cornerstone of training young people to be knowledgeable citizens and innovative contributors to our society; and

WHEREAS, Science literacy is foundational for all children to be able to think critically, analyze the world around them, and understand the decisions of policymakers, which is why it is a key component of California’s educational standards; and

WHEREAS, California is home to four national laboratories—the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Sandia National Laboratories laboratory in Livermore, and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory—and the greatest collection of public and private research universities in the world. These strong research institutions have a global gravitational pull that brings the best and brightest scientists to our labs, libraries, classrooms, and companies, and they depend on resources and full intellectual independence to flourish; and

WHEREAS, Scientific progress immeasurably benefits our national security, public health, economic prosperity, standard of living, and cultural progress; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature supports the April 22, 2017, March for Science and affirms the importance of basic and applied scientific research, the scientific education of all schoolchildren, and the foundational role of independent, rigorous scientific discovery and inquiry in the policymaking process at all levels; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature urges the President and the Congress of the United States to work together to support, encourage, and heed the truths established by scientists and scientific research in policymaking to keep the United States of America the world’s global leader in scientific research and business innovation; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President and the Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.