EMPEROR NORTON TUNNEL | Action Guide
Action Guide
[TO CALIFORNIA ORGANIZATIONS — The email-writing resources below apply to individual California residents who wish to urge their state Senators and Assemblymembers to publicly support designating the Bay Bridge tunnel through Yerba Buena Island as the Emperor Norton Tunnel — and, when the opportunity arises, to vote for a reintroduced iteration of Senate Concurrent Resolution 193, which unanimously passed the State Senate in August 2026.
Do you represent a California organization that wishes to endorse a reintroduced iteration of SCR 193 by registering an official letter of support with the California state legislature at the appropriate time? Please write for instructions to Emperor Norton Trust founder John Lumea at john@EmperorNortonTrust.org. Thank you!]
On 3 August 2026, California State Senator Scott Wiener took up The Emperor Norton Trust’s proposal that the state legislature pass a joint resolution designating the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge tunnel through Yerba Buena Island, S.F., as the “Emperor Norton Tunnel” and introduced this as
Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 193
with Assemblymember Catherine Stefani as co-author.
The Emperor Norton Trust was the citizen sponsor of SCR 193.
You can find the text, bill analyses, and voting history of the resolution by clicking here.
➡ ➡ ➡ NEXT STOP: 2027
SCR 193 passed the Senate unanimously, 39–0, on 20 August 2026 and was referred to the Assembly Transportation Committee on 24 August 2026.
But, under Assembly rules that put up high bars to expediting any measure in the final two weeks of the legislative session — in this case, August 17–31 — SCR 193 received neither committee nor floor votes in the Assembly.
The Emperor Norton Trust is committed to seeing this Emperor Norton Tunnel resolution reintroduced in the next legislative session (opening December 2026).
Our new goal: Make sure that this resolution (which would have a new number) gets all the votes it deserves — and that the legislature makes the Emperor Norton Tunnel a reality in 2027.
The 2027–2028 legislative session opens in December 2026.
To help advance “SCR 193 v2.0”…
WRITE
IF YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA:
Email your State Senator and Assemblymember urging them to publicly support designating the Bay Bridge tunnel through Yerba Buena Island as the Emperor Norton Tunnel — and, when the opportunity arises, to vote for a reintroduced iteration of Senate Concurrent Resolution 193, which unanimously passed the State Senate in August 2026. See below for letter writing tips.
FIND YOUR SENATOR AND ASSEMBLYMEMBER with this tool.
If you are able to determine your Senator and Assemblymember’s lead staff as well — district director; legislative director; and chief of staff — it is helpful to cc these staffers, as they the ones most likely to see your letter of support first and bring it to the Assemblymember’s attention.
Lawmakers don’t always include email addresses on their official websites. But, the following standard formats for Senators and Assemblymembers and their staffs usually work:
Senator — senator.lastname@senate.ca.gov
Staff — firstname.lastname@sen.ca.gov
Assemblymember — assemblymember.lastname@assembly.ca.gov
Staff — firstname.lastname@asm.ca.gov
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TIPS FOR WRITING EMAILS OF SUPPORT
Include your name and where you live.
Subject line: Please support and help pass an Emperor Norton Tunnel resolution
Text: A crisp statement along the lines:
“Towards the end of the last legislative session, the Senate unanimously passed SCR 193 that would have designated the officially unnamed Bay Bridge tunnel through Yerba Buena Island as the ‘Emperor Norton Tunnel.’ As time drew short, this resolution did not receive the benefit of committee or floor votes in the Assembly.“I strongly supported SCR 193 — and I strongly support a plan by The Emperor Norton Trust, the citizen sponsor of SCR 193, to seek to have this resolution reintroduced in the next session.
“I urge you to publicly support this endeavor and to vote for the corresponding resolution when the opportunity arises.”
Supplement this basic statement with a sentence that includes links to our proposal and endorsements.
Include a personal comment, if you wish — but make this brief.
When writing to a given lawmaker, be sure to cc their chief of staff; legislative director; and district director, if possible.
Please also bcc Emperor Norton Trust founder John Lumea at john@EmperorNortonTrust.org
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IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE CALIFORNIA:
Send emails of support to Emperor Norton Trust founder John Lumea at john@EmperorNortonTrust.
Be sure to let us know your name and where you are writing from.
SIGN
Our PETITION is at change.org/EmperorNortonTunnel
LEARN
1
Our original NAMING PROPOSAL is at EmperorNortonTrust.org/tunnel
The proposal also is accessible by clicking the Proposal button at EmperorNortonTunnel.org
2
Our ENDORSEMENTS are at EmperorNortonTrust.org/tunnel/endorsements
3
Our PRESS…
13 Aug 2026
J: The Jewish News of Northern California
The secret Jewish history of San Francisco folk hero Emperor Norton
Profile of the Emperor’s Jewishness, with a focus on SCR 193
6 Aug 2026
Axios
The Bay Bridge Tunnel Could Soon Bear Emperor Norton’s Name
Axios weighs in on “Emperor Norton Tunnel” naming resolution SCR 193
5 Aug 2026
SFist
Bay Bridge’s Yerba Buena Tunnel Might Get Named In Honor of Emperor Norton
Article from news site that broke the story of our “Emperor Norton Bridge” petition
13 years — nearly to the day — earlier, on 6 August 2013
5 Aug 2026
San Francisco Chronicle
Scott Wiener Wants to Name Yerba Buena Tunnel After This
Quirky S.F. Folk Hero
Article on SCR 193, “Emperor Norton Tunnel” naming resolution in the
California state legislature, that cites The Emperor Norton Trust as the
originator of the resolution
27 Jul 2026
Freethought Today
Update from SF Bay Chapter of Freedom From Religion Foundation
Lead “Chapter Updates” item in the August 2026 issue of the official
magazine of the Freedom From Religion Foundation
10 Jun 2026
Broke-Ass Stuart
There’s a Serious Movement to Create the “Emperor Norton Tunnel”
Invited op-ed by Emperor Norton Trust founder John Lumea — a good introduction
to the project that includes links to the proposal, petition, and endorsements
Thank you!!!
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Learn more!
See our full Naming Proposal and Endorsements.