California Tartan Honors John Muir

California Government Code Section 424.3

AB 614, 2001 California Statutes ch. 100

California Tartan

BILL NUMBER: AB 614 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT

CHAPTER 100
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JULY 24, 2001
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR JULY 23, 2001
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY JULY 12, 2001
PASSED THE SENATE JULY 9, 2001
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 19, 2001
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 8, 2001

INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Thomson and Bill Campbell (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member NegreteMcLeod) (Principal coauthor: Senator McPherson) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alquist, Ashburn, Briggs, John Campbell, Cardoza, Cohn, Corbett, Cox, Dickerson, Hertzberg, Hollingsworth, Kehoe, Leonard, Maddox, Matthews, Nation, Salinas, Shelley, Strom-Martin, and Wayne)

FEBRUARY 22, 2001

An act to add Section 424.3 to the Government Code, relating to the State of California.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 614, Thomson. State of California: official State Tartan. Existing law designates the state's flag, motto, nickname, flower, dance, song, tree, reptile, bird, colors, insect, animal, mineral, rock, gemstone, marine mammal, marine fish, soil, fossil, and prehistoric artifact. This bill would designate the official State Tartan, as described.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The Scottish people and their descendants have traditionally utilized woven fabrics, called tartan, as emblematic of their family and cultural heritage.

(b) The oppression of Scots included the Dress Act of 1747, which was suppressive legislation that forbade wearing the kilt, playing the bagpipe, or even displaying a swatch of tartan. The penalty for breaking this law was six months in jail on the first offense, and on the second offense deportation to the colonies in America or Australia for seven years of indentured labor.

(c) The tartan is a symbol of Scottish courage in the face of adversity, of loyalty to family and friend, and of the human qualities of perseverance in a just cause and strength in the resolve that freedom is for the many, not the few, which may serve as a continuing inspiration for all people today.

(d) California is the most culturally diverse state in the nation. Californians of Scottish, Scots-Irish, and other Celtic descent have made major contributions to the history and development of the state.

(e) The state's natural splendor and history have been symbolized in the pattern and colors of the California Tartan sett based on the family tartan of the revered John Muir, but with sufficient originality as to be independently recordable with the Scottish Tartans Society and the Scottish Tartans Authority as a unique tartan. The tartan's blue reflects the sky, the ocean, and the state' s rivers and lakes, while the green stands for the state's mountains, fields, and parks. The red, gold, and blue seams signify the arts, sciences, agriculture, and industry of California.

SEC. 2. Section 424.3 is added to the Government Code, to read:

424.3.

(a) The tartan defined in subdivision (b) is the official State Tartan, and may be claimed by any resident of the state.

(b) The official State Tartan is generally described as a pattern or sett consisting of alternate squares of meadow green and pacific blue that are separated and surrounded by narrow charcoal bands. The squares of meadow green are divided by a gold seam that is supported by charcoal lines on each side. There are three redwood stripes, the middle of which is broader, that are added to each side of the gold seam. The pacific blue square is divided by a sky blue stripe, which is supported on each side by charcoal lines. The tartan is specifically defined by the following weave code: Y..B..G..S..G...S..G..S..G..B..A..B..K... Ancient Colors 8...2..20..4..20..8..20..4..20..32..56..2...8... Full Pivots This weave code means that the threads begin with 8 threads of yellow, followed by 2 threads of black, 20 threads of green, 4 threads of scarlet, 20 threads of green, 8 threads of scarlet, 20 threads of green, 4 threads of scarlet, 20 threads of green, 32 threads of black, 56 threads of azure, 2 threads of black, and 8 threads of sky blue. At that point the weave pivots and returns, beginning with 2 threads of black, and continuing the sequence in reverse order through 8 threads of yellow, at which point it pivots back again.

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