Lisa Kalustian
Chief Deputy Director
Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
300 South Spring Street, Suite 16701
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213)897-0322
FAX (213)897-0319

Lisa.kalustian@gov.ca.gov

Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Legislation to Build a Memorial to
Commemorate Genocide Survivors

Governor Schwarzenegger today announced the signing of AB 1210 by
Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys) that authorizes the construction of a
memorial for California’s genocide survivors in Capitol Park.

"We should never forget the inhumanity and brutality of genocide,"
said Governor Schwarzenegger. "The construction of this memorial will
help all Californians remember the unimaginable suffering genocide
survivors endured."

AB 1210 establishes the International Genocide Memorial Commission.

It also authorizes the construction of a memorial to California’s
genocide survivors in the Capitol Historic Park. The bill prohibits
the expenditure of state funding for both the Genocide Memorial
Commission and the construction of the memorial.

Earlier this week, Governor Schwarzenegger signed other legislation
support victims of genocide:

SB 1524 by Senator Jackie Speier (D-San Francisco/San Mateo) provides
relief to California Armenian Genocide victims, and their families,
who are seeking legal action to recover assets that were lost or
stolen during the atrocities against the Armenian people.

AB 2179 by Assemblymember Tim Leslie (R-Tahoe City) indemnifies
the University of California from liability that might result from
divestment in Sudan. Specifically, this bill requires any current,
or former, members of the regents, officers, employees or investment
managers of the UC, and current and former officers, directors,
trustees, agents or employees of any UC foundation, be indemnified
from all claims and liability, including attorney’s fees, that might
result from the decision of the UC Board of Regents to divest from
Sudan. The UC Regents voted to divest from investments in Darfur
pending the Governor’s signature of a bill like AB 2179 that would
provide indemnification for UC.

AB 2941 by Assemblymember Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) prohibits
CalPERS or CalSTRS from investing public employee retirement funds
in a company with active business operations in Sudan. This bill also
forbids the board from investing in a company that supplies military
equipment within the borders of Sudan. CalPERS, the state’s employee
retirement fund, is the largest pension fund in the nation and CalSTRS,
the state’s public education retirement fund, is the second largest
pension fund in the nation.

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