CESAR CHAVEZ DAY
House Bill 4319
Sponsor: Rep. John Gleason
Committee: Great Lakes and Tourism
Complete to 10-1-03
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4319 AS INTRODUCED 3-11-03
The bill would designate March 31 of each year as Cesar Chavez Day in Michigan.
The bill contains the following statement:
“The legislature recognizes the fundamental contribution that Cesar Chavez made to this nation by organizing farm workers to campaign for safe and fair working conditions, reasonable wages, decent housing, and the outlawing of child labor. Cesar Chavez began working in the fields of Arizona and California at the age of 10. Profoundly influenced by these humble beginnings, Chavez embraced the nonviolent principles of Mohandas Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to crusade against racial and economic discrimination, coordinate voter registration drives, and found the United Farm Workers of America. In 1994, Chavez was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to civilians by the United States government. In memory of this great American, the legislature declares that March 31 of each year shall be known as Cesar Chavez Day.” The bill concludes: “The legislature encourages individuals, governmental and educational institutions, and community organizations to pause on Cesar Chavez Day and reflect upon the courage and sacrifice of a man to whom Robert Kennedy once referred as ‘one of the heroic figures of our time.’”
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.