SJR017 is a ceremonial joint resolution honoring Petty Officer First Class Daniel T. Griffin, a Colorado Springs native and Navy aviator who was killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The resolution recounts Griffin’s service, his death on December 7, 1941, his recognition by Admiral Chester Nimitz, and the later commissioning of the USS Daniel T. Griffin in his honor. It also notes that his remains were reinterred in Evergreen Cemetery in Colorado Springs.
The resolution designates the North Academy Bridge spanning Interstate 25 in Colorado Springs as the "Naval Aviation Pilot and Aviation Machinist Mate Petty Officer First Class Daniel T. Griffin Bridge." It further authorizes the Colorado Department of Transportation to explore a cooperative agreement with the Colorado Springs City Council for maintaining the bridge signage. As a joint resolution, it does not create or amend substantive state law, but it does formally recognize Griffin and directs state and local attention to the bridge naming and signage.
Impact
SJR017 has no regulatory or fiscal effect on private parties and does not change the Colorado Revised Statutes. Its legal effect is limited to a memorial designation of a state bridge and a permissive invitation for CDOT to coordinate with Colorado Springs on sign maintenance. The practical impact is commemorative: it adds an official state recognition of a Pearl Harbor casualty with Colorado ties and may require ongoing sign upkeep through local-state cooperation.
Sentiment
The sentiment around the resolution appears strongly positive and noncontroversial. It passed the Senate 32-0 and the House 61-0, indicating unanimous support in both chambers. The bill’s tone is commemorative and patriotic, centered on honoring military service and sacrifice, which typically draws broad bipartisan approval.
Contention
There is little to no apparent contention in the available record. The measure is a naming resolution rather than a policy bill, and the only potentially practical issue is the suggestion that CDOT may explore a cooperative maintenance agreement with the Colorado Springs City Council. Any discussion would likely focus on the appropriateness of the memorial designation and the logistics of maintaining signage, but the unanimous votes suggest no significant opposition from either chamber.