In a statement sent to the staging-live.lbpost.com today, Supervisor Don Knabe announced his intention to seek recognition of long-time Long Beach resident and former California Governor George Deukmejian by naming the new Long Beach Courthouse in his honor.

Knabe today released the following statement to the staging-live.lbpost.com:

Governor Deukmejian has spent decades as a local leader in Long Beach and across California and the nation, with a legendary record in public safety, judicial appointments, law, and reducing crime. Supervisor Knabe is honored to be leading the effort to name the new courthouse in tribute to a Long Beach legend and a great American, the Honorable George Deukmejian.

Knabe made the first public announcement of his intention last night at the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce gala, introducing the former Governor as the man whose name would grace the new Long Beach courthouse.

Deukmejian represented Long Beach as a member of the State Assembly and then Senate from 1962 to 1970, served as Attorney General from 1979 to 1983 and served as Governor of California from 1983 to 1991. There are also two Long Beach streets named after him: Deukmejian Drive near Blair Field and Deukmejian Way on the Long Beach State campus, which I walked every day for three years on my way to class.

The Supervisor lists support from Chief Justice Ron George of the California Supreme Court, Presiding Judge Tim McCoy of the Los Angeles Superior Court, Presiding Judge Arthur Jean and other judges in the current Long Beach Courthouse. The decision will ultimately be up to a state court agency.

More to come on this story…

Disclosure: staging-live.lbpost.com publisher Shaun Lumachi is under contract with the Office of Supervisor Don Knabe.