State Sen. Anthony Portantino has announced that SJR 8, a Senate Joint Resolution to name a portion of the 134 Freeway in Los Angeles County the President Barack H. Obama Freeway, has passed both the state Senate and the state Assembly. As a result, the 134 Freeway from the 2 Freeway to the 210 Freeway interchange will be named in honor of the 44th president.
Obama used this portion of California’s freeway system to travel from his college home in Pasadena to Occidental College. He attended Occidental his freshman and sophomore years and has attributed his time there as the beginning of his political activism. It is the place where he gave his first political speech.
“I am so proud to have authored this proposal to forever appreciate and commemorate President Obama’s tremendous legacy, statesmanship and direct connection to Southern California. When my friend John Gallogly suggested the idea, I was touched that he suggested it to me and I am extremely honored to be in a position to bring it to fruition,” said Portantino.
Portantino represents Pasadena and represented the Los Angeles Eagle Rock neighborhood where Occidental is located while in the state Assembly.
SJR 8 passed with bipartisan support in the Assembly and the state Senate. Jimmy Gomez succeeded Portantino in representing Eagle Rock in the Assembly and is a co-author of the Senate resolution.
California Legislature is First in Nation to Name Freeway for Obama
