Congresswoman Laura Richardson (CA-37) Honors the Late California State Senator Jenny Oropeza Through Highway Renaming Legislation
Press Release
Recently, Congresswoman Laura Richardson (CA-37) honored the late California State Senator Jenny Oropeza by introducing legislation to designat a portion of Interstate Route 710 as the "Jenny Oropeza Highway."
"As the first Latina member of the Long Beach City Council, Jenny Oropeza was a pioneer and trail blazer, bringing new priorities and focus in the community," Congresswoman Richardson said. "After her election to the California State Assembly in 2000, she chaired the Committee on Transportation and served 5 years on the Board of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. She was a strong and effective champion of policies to improve highway construction, safety, and maintenance and secure adequate transit funding. It seems only appropriate then that we would honor her legacy by dedicating a portion of The 710 as the "Jenny Oropeza Highway.'"
Jennifer Ann "Jenny" Oropeza was born on September 27, 1957, in Montebello, California. She served as the California State Senator for the 28th District from 2006 up to her death on October 20, 2010 and was reelected posthumously on November 3, 2010. She served in the California State Assembly for six years (2000--2006) prior to her time in the Senate.
H.R. 1472, which Richardson introduced on April 8, 2011, would allow for a stretch of Interstate Route 710 to be renamed in law and on all other official records of the United States, including maps, documents, papers, and regulations, as the "Jenny Oropeza Highway." The designated portion of the highway overlaps both Senator Oropeza and Congresswoman Richardson's districts, and begins at post mile 5.2 and ends at post mile 6.2. in Los Angeles County.
Commonly referred to as The 710, California's I-710 is a major north-south interstate freeway running for 23 miles (37 km) through California, from Long Beach to Alhambra. Officially known as the Long Beach Freeway, CalTrans estimates that approximately 100,000 vehicles travel northbound and southbound on the I-710 daily.
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