[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 172 (Wednesday, October 25, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6814-S6816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-124. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California relative to federal rescheduling of 
     marijuana from a schedule 1 drug; to the Committee on the 
     Judiciary.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 5

       Whereas, Marijuana and its derivatives remain classified as 
     a Schedule I drug by the United States Drug Enforcement 
     Administration (DEA); and
       Whereas, Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are 
     defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical, use and 
     a high potential for abuse and include heroin, lysergic acid 
     diethylarnide (LSD); marijuana or cannabis, 3,4-
     methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone 
     (Quaalude); and peyote; and
       Whereas, Marijuana or cannabis and its congeners have been 
     studied worldwide outside the United States for years and 
     have shown efficacy for various conditions, such as wasting 
     syndrome, as an antinauseant in those taking chemotherapy, 
     Glaucoma (reduces intraocular pressure), Epilepsy (anti-
     seizure properties), migraine headaches and other types of 
     pain, and anxiety; and
       Whereas, The medical and recreational use of marijuana in 
     the State of California has been authorized by the voters 
     through initiatives; and
       Whereas, Marijuana or cannabis is presently classified by 
     the DEA as a Schedule I drug wherein the possession, sale, or 
     utilization can trigger federal prosecution statues, 
     including federal forfeiture provisions; and
       Whereas, Concerns about the criminality and forfeiture 
     provisions in federal law impede traditional banking 
     institutions from doing business with potential clients 
     cultivating, researching, selling, or utilizing marijuana or 
     cannabis and its derivatives, therefore making marijuana 
     commerce very difficult; and
       Whereas, The inability to use traditional banking 
     institutions impedes local and state government from 
     adequately monitoring true marijuana or cannabis utilization 
     and shortchanges the respective taxes owed to taxing 
     agencies, potentially costing state and local governments 
     hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tax income; and
       Whereas, Since marijuana, or cannabis businesses are unable 
     to legally use traditional banking institutions, many vendors 
     resort to the black market and involvement of organized crime 
     making communities less safe; and
       Whereas, Marijuana or cannabis and its derivatives cannot 
     be legally studied by research institutions if it remains a 
     Schedule I drug, thereby prohibiting newly discovered and 
     verifiable pharmacological attributes of marijuana or 
     cannabis and its deriatives, which otherwise may enhance the 
     quality of life of those that could truly benefit from its 
     use; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature urges the Congress 
     of the United States to pass a law to reschedule marijuana or 
     cannabis and its derivatives from a Schedule I drug to an 
     alternative schedule, therefore allowing the legal research 
     and development of marijuana or cannabis for medical use and 
     allowing for the legal commerce of marijuana or cannabis so 
     that businesses dealing with marijuana or cannabis can use 
     traditional banks or financial institutions for their banking 
     needs, which would result in providing a legal vehicle for 
     those businesses to pay their taxes, including, but not 
     limited to, payroll taxes, unsecured property taxes, and 
     applicable taxes on the products sold in accordance with 
     state and local laws; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature urges the President of the 
     United States to sign such legislation; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the 
     United States, to the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the United States 
     Senate, to each Senator and Representative from California in 
     the Congress of the United States, and to the author for 
     appropriate distribution.
                                  ____

       POM-125. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California relative to the California 
     Nonmotorized Trails Master Plan, to the Committee on 
     Environment and Public Works.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 8

       Whereas, California established significant greenhouse gas 
     emission reduction targets for 2020 through the California 
     Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and for 2050 through 
     Executive Order S-3-05; and
       Whereas, In 1974, the California Recreational Trails Act 
     was enacted to increase accessibility and enhance the use, 
     enjoyment, and understanding of California's scenic, natural, 
     historic, and cultural resources; and
       Whereas, The act and the California Recreational Trails 
     System Plan, which is prepared and continuously maintained by 
     the Department of Parks and Recreation pursuant to the act 
     and in cooperation with the Department of Transportation, 
     provides for both motorized and nonmotorized accessibility 
     and use; and
       Whereas, In order to help meet those greenhouse gas 
     emission reduction targets, a California Nonmotorized Trails 
     Master Plan is urgently needed to create a statewide plan and 
     timeline for a coordinated network of California trails for 
     walking, hiking, biking, horseback riding, and other forms of 
     nonmotorized transportation in both urban and rural regions; 
     and
       Whereas, Human-powered, nonmotorized transportation can 
     serve the dual purposes of providing healthy exercise for 
     citizens and transporting them from one location to another 
     with a zero-carbon footprint; and
       Whereas, Many of California's local entities, including 
     municipalities, public agencies, private organizations, and 
     individual citizens, are currently in the process of 
     developing their own local trails master plans in their 
     neighborhoods, cities, counties, or regions that are designed 
     to create avenues for environmentally friendly methods of 
     nonmotorized transportation and that are likely to expand 
     rural economic development benefits and outcomes; and
       Whereas, According to a 2014 report issued by the Governors 
     Highway Safety Association, 338 cyclists were killed in 
     collisions

[[Page S6815]]

     with motor vehicles in California between 2010 and 2012, the 
     most in any state; and
       Whereas, Other states, including New York, have found that 
     a coordinated nonmotorized trails network offers myriad 
     health benefits and valuable experiences, including hiking, 
     biking, cross-country skiing, taking short nature walks, 
     touring, including agricultural touring, exploring greenways, 
     parklands, and rural agricultural lands, and other 
     nonvehicular experiences in the unique settings of local 
     communities, and that these related activities bring 
     commercial opportunities to those communities; and
       Whereas, The federal Recreational Trails Program is a 
     Federal Highway Administration assistance program that 
     provides federal funds to states to develop and maintain 
     recreational trails in both urban and rural regions for 
     motorized and nonmotorized recreational trail use; and
       Whereas, California's rural regions have limited access to 
     networks of nonmotorized recreational trails; and
       Whereas, There is currently no deadline to complete and 
     connect the state's many diverse and separate trails into a 
     statewide coordinated nonmotorized transportation network in 
     both urban and rural regions: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature requests the 
     Governor to designate the Department of Parks and Recreation 
     and the Department of Transportation, in partnership with the 
     National Park Service and other relevant federal, state, 
     regional, and local agencies, private organizations, and 
     individual citizens, to accelerate the planning, creation, 
     and completion timelines for a California Nonmotorized Trails 
     Master Plan for urban and rural regions to expand 
     opportunities for all Californians to benefit from new 
     recreational, tourist, and economic development options in 
     their daily lives, which will reduce the overall usage of 
     fossil-fuel powered vehicles for public transportation and 
     create a safer environment for pedestrians and bicyclists who 
     use nonmotorized transportation trails networks to walk or 
     ride; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature requests the Governor to 
     request the President, Members of Congress, and the Federal 
     Highway Administration, through its Recreational Trails 
     Program, to dedicate increased funding to California to 
     accelerate and support the planning and development of the 
     California Nonmotorized Trails Master Plan as an expanded 
     network of nonmotorized recreational trails in rural and 
     urban regions of the state and to accelerate the completion 
     of existing nonmotorized recreational trails, including the 
     California Coastal Trail; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the 
     United States, to the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to 
     each Senator and Representative from California in the 
     Congress of the United States, and to the author for 
     appropriate distribution.
                                  ____

       POM-126. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of California urging state and federal departments 
     and agencies to make collaborative, statewide salmon fishery 
     restoration an urgent and high priority; to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

                     Senate Joint Resolution No. 7

       Whereas, Salmon has been a fundamental and irreplaceable 
     part of the cultural traditions of Native American tribes in 
     California, and a staple of Native American diets, since time 
     immemorial; and
       Whereas, The California salmon fishery is among the oldest 
     and most important historic commercial fisheries in 
     California, and among the most iconic commercial, 
     recreational, and tribal fisheries in the United States; and
       Whereas, The California Bay-Delta ecosystem, including the 
     rivers that flow into it, is the most important salmon-
     producing system south of the Columbia River; and
       Whereas, The Klamath and Trinity Rivers are home to 
     culturally and commercially important, and biologically 
     unique, salmon runs; and
       Whereas, The California salmon fishery annually draws a 
     vast amount of trade and tourism to California; and
       Whereas, A decade ago, the California salmon fishery 
     supported 23,000 jobs and $1.4 billion in economic activity; 
     and
       Whereas, California salmon contains high levels of omega-3 
     fatty acids, offers abundant health benefits for 
     Californians, including lower cholesterol and lower risk of 
     skin and breast cancer, and is delicious; and
       Whereas, Salmon runs are responsible for the largest 
     transfer of biomass from the oceans to the land on the planet 
     and are vital to the healthy functioning of ecosystems from 
     the coast to the mountains; and
       Whereas, Salmon spawned in California rivers are caught by 
     fishermen in Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and as far 
     away as Alaska; and
       Whereas, The health of a salmon population is an important 
     benchmark of the health of its native rivers and ecosystems; 
     and
       Whereas, The Fish and Game Code and the State Water 
     Resources Control Board Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan 
     establish the doubling of wild salmon populations as state 
     policy; and
       Whereas, The California salmon fishery was closed from 2008 
     to 2009 due to declining populations and fish kill of salmon 
     resulting from decreased river flows and warm water 
     conditions that caused direct mortality, leading to dramatic 
     impacts on the fishing industry and fishing-dependent 
     communities; and
       Whereas, Salmon populations have declined during 
     California's historic drought; and
       Whereas, Depressed salmon populations in 2015 and 2016 have 
     resulted in a shorter fishing season, a reduction in landed 
     fish from 981,000 annually from 1986 to 1990, inclusive, to 
     92,000 in 2016, and severe hardship to the fishing industry 
     and fishing-dependent communities; and
       Whereas, Many salmon populations in California are listed 
     as endangered or threatened under the California Endangered 
     Species Act or the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, or 
     both, including Central Valley winter-run and spring-run 
     Chinook salmon, California Coastal Chinook salmon, and all 
     coho salmon; and
       Whereas, The United States Secretary of Commerce determined 
     a commercial fishery failure for the Yurok Tribe Klamath 
     River Chinook salmon fishery in 2016 due to a fishery 
     resource disaster; and
       Whereas, On May 24, 2017, the Governors of California and 
     Oregon urged the Secretary of Commerce to expedite 
     declaration of a fishery resource disaster for California and 
     Oregon for the 2016 and 2017 seasons; and
       Whereas, It is critical that further commercial fishery 
     failure determinations be made, fishery resource disasters 
     declared, and disaster relief provided, for California salmon 
     fisheries for 2016 and 2017: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of 
     California, jointly, That the Legislature urges state 
     departments and agencies, including the Natural Resources 
     Agency, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the 
     Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Wildlife Conservation 
     Board, the Department of Water Resources, the Central Valley 
     Flood Protection Board, and the State Water Resources Control 
     Board, to make collaborative, statewide salmon fishery 
     restoration an urgent and high priority; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature urges federal departments 
     and agencies, including the Department of the Interior, the 
     Bureau of Reclamation, the United States Fish and Wildlife 
     Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service, to make 
     collaborative, statewide salmon fishery restoration an urgent 
     and high priority; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Legislature urges the federal government 
     to undertake all appropriate measures to provide necessary 
     disaster relief for California salmon fisheries for 2016 and 
     2017; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the Secretary of the Natural Resources 
     Agency, to the Secretary for Environmental Protection, to the 
     Director of Fish and Wildlife, to the Executive Director of 
     the Wildlife Conservation Board, to the Director of Water 
     Resources, to the President of the Central Valley Flood 
     Protection Board, to the Chairperson of the State Water 
     Resources Control Board, to the Secretary of the Interior, to 
     the Commissioner of Reclamation, to the Assistant Secretary 
     for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, to the Assistant 
     Administrator for Fisheries, to the President and Vice 
     President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House 
     of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to 
     each Senator and Representative from California in the 
     Congress of the United States, and to the author for 
     appropriate distribution.
                                  ____

       POM-127. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     Michigan urging the President of the United States and the 
     United States Congress to recognize the Republic of Nagorno-
     Karabakh, also known as Artsakh, to establish economic and 
     cultural ties with the nation, and to support the peace and 
     stability of the South Caucasus; to the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations.

                        Senate Resolution No. 99

       Whereas, The region of Artsakh is located in the South 
     Caucasus and has historically been Armenian territory. The 
     region is populated by an overwhelming majority of Armenians; 
     and
       Whereas, Despite its historical and cultural ties to 
     Armenia, in 1921, Joseph Stalin arbitrarily severed Artsakh 
     from Armenia, and in violation of the national, territorial, 
     and human rights of the Armenian people, the severed region 
     of Artsakh was placed under the administration of Soviet 
     Azerbaijani; and
       Whereas, For decades, the Armenian peoples' peaceful 
     demonstrations for national independence, for individual 
     freedom, and in opposition to the Soviet Azerbaijani 
     repression and discrimination were met with acts of violent 
     repression by Soviet Azerbaijani forces who refused to allow 
     the self-determination of the people of Artsakh. Soviet 
     Azerbaijani's bloody response resulted in the deaths of 
     ethnic Armenians in Sumgait (February 1988), Kirovabad 
     (February 1988), and Baku (January 1990) and the forced 
     deportation of more than 350,000 Armenians from Azerbaijani. 
     In the aftermath of the Sumgait tragedy, the United States 
     Senate unanimously passed Amendment 2690 to the Fiscal Year 
     1989 Foreign Operations Appropriations

[[Page S6816]]

     bill (H.R. 4782), concerning the Karabakh conflict and called 
     on the Soviet government to ``respect the legitimate 
     aspirations of the Armenian people . . . '' and noted that 
     ``dozens of Armenians have been killed and injured during the 
     recent unrests . . . ``; and
       Whereas, The people of Artsakh overwhelmingly voted to 
     support independence. On December 10, 1991, despite continued 
     violence against the people of Artsakh, a popular referendum 
     proclaiming an independent republic took place during the 
     disintegration of the Soviet Union. Under the watchful eye of 
     more than 50 international observers, and in full compliance 
     with international standards for a free and fair election, 
     more than 80 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot, and 
     the measure passed with 98 percent in favor. On January 6, 
     1992, the democratically-elected Parliament of Artsakh 
     adopted the Declaration of Independence of the Nagorno-
     Karabakh Republic; and
       Whereas, Despite a cease-fire agreement between the 
     Republic of Artsakh, Azerbaijani, and Armenia that ended 
     years of intense fighting, the security and sovereignty of 
     Artsakh continue to be threatened by regional tension and 
     hostile acts. The Armenians of Artsakh remain resolute in 
     their efforts to exercise the right to self-determination and 
     live free from violence and repression, and by recognizing 
     the government of Artsakh, the international community can 
     help put to rest this century-old conflict; Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the Senate, That we urge the President and 
     Congress of the United States to recognize a free and 
     independent Republic of Artsakh; and be it further
       Resolved, That we memorialize the United States government 
     to strengthen and solidify our country's economic and 
     cultural relationship with the Artsakh Republic and its 
     citizens and continue to promote the humanitarian and 
     economic rehabilitation of the region; and be it further
       Resolved, That we support the Republic of Artsakh's 
     continued efforts within the international community to reach 
     a lasting solution to the existing regional problems and 
     establish peace and stability in the strategically important 
     region of South Caucasus; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, the President of the 
     United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House 
     of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan 
     congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM-128. A resolution adopted by the Alpena County Board of 
     Commissioners, Alpena, Michigan, opposing slashing federal 
     funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.
                                  ____

       POM-129. A resolution adopted by the Eaton County Board of 
     Commissioners, Charlotte, Michigan, opposing slashing federal 
     funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works.

                          ____________________