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Inventory of the Maxine Waters Papers, 1976-1990
LP411
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Title: Inventory of the
Maxine Waters Papers, 1976-1990
Dates: 1976-1990
Collection number: LP411
Creator:
Waters, Maxine
Collection Size:
19 cubic feet
Repository:
California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Abstract: Maxine Waters was elected to the California Assembly in 1976. She represented the 48th Assembly District, which included a
portion of south central Los Angeles and the suburbs of Lynwood and South Gate. The Maxine Waters Papers consist of 19 cubic
feet of textual and photographic records. These materials document Waters' activities in the California State Assembly from
1976-1990. They are organized into seven series: Bill Files, Subject Files, South Africa Files, Hearing Files, Correspondence
Files, Press Releases and Photographs.
Physical location: California State Archives
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
[Identification of item], Maxine Waters Papers, LP411:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary
of State, Sacramento, California.
Maxine Waters, Democrat, was born in St. Louis, Missouri on August 15, 1938, to Remus and Velma Lee Carr Moore. Waters moved
to California in 1960 with her husband, Sidney Williams, and two children, Karen and Edward. Waters received her Bachelor
of Arts degree from California State University, Los Angeles, where she majored in sociology. Before being elected to the
State Assembly, Waters worked in a variety of jobs, including a garment factory when she first moved to Los Angeles. She helped
to organize the first Head Start program in the Nickerson Gardens-Watts Housing Project. She later went onto become a teacher
and superintendent of parent education for Watts, Wilmington and San Pedro. She was a partner in a groundbreaking public relations
firm, which paved the way for minority public relations firms to do business in the competitive commercial world. Also prior
to being elected, Maxine helped to raise money for a number of non-profits including the Black Congress, the Mothers of Watts
and Dollars for Scholars.
Waters was elected to the California Assembly in 1976. She represented the 48th Assembly District, which included a portion
of south central Los Angeles and the suburbs of Lynwood and South Gate. Waters fought for the divestment of Californian funds
in South Africa, a country practicing apartheid. Other legislation by Waters set affirmative action standards for businesses
and universities to comply with. Additionally, she carried bills to ensure that female members of the Assembly would be called
Assemblywomen rather than Assemblymen. Waters also introduced bills on small business development, insurance and consumer
laws.
In 1990, Waters successfully ran for the U.S House of Representatives, taking the 29th Congressional District, which was later
renumbered as the 35th Congressional District after the 1990 Census. She has been reelected nine times and currently holds
the office today.
According to the
California Legislature at Sacramento (Handbooks) and the
Assembly Final History, Waters served on the following Assembly committees:
California State Assembly, 1976-1990
Standing Committees
Elections and Reapportionment, 1976-1982
Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments, 1989-1990
Health, 1976-1980
Human Resources, 1976-1978
Governmental Efficiency and Cost Control, 1985-1986
Governmental Organization, 1985-1988
Judiciary, 1976-1990
Labor, Employment and Consumer Affairs, 1979-1980
Local Government, 1976-1978
Natural Resources, 1987-1990
Public Investment, Finance and Bonded Indebtedness, 1985-1986
Rules, 1981-1984
Ways and Means, 1978-1990
Subcommittees
Ways and Means, #4, 1978-1990
*Chair, 1978-1990
Ways and Means, #5, Super Agency Budgets, 1981-1982
Judiciary, Administration of Justice, 1985-1986
Select Committees
California’s Automotive Industry and Plant Closures, 1979-1980
California Youth, 1981-1982
County Government, 1981-1982
Energy Supply, 1981-1982
Insurance, 1985-1986
International Trade, Investment and Tourism, 1983-1984
Office of State Treasurer, 1987-1990
Olympic Oversight, 1983-1984
Plastic Pipe Oversight, 1983-1984
Regulatory Oversight, 1981-1982
Victims of Sexual Assault, 1987-1988
Special Committees
Campaign and Election Reform, 1983-1984
MediCal Reform, 1979-1980
Organized Crime and Gang Violence, 1987-1990
Policy Research Management, 1987-1990
Public Pension Fund Investments, 1989-1990
*Chair, 1989-1990
Ad Hoc Subcommittee
State and Local Bonds, 1981-1982
Boards
Advisory Council to the Small Business Development Board, 1983-1984
Job Creation Board, 1977-1978
Public Works Board, 1985-1990
Small Business Development Board, 1985-1986
Commissions
California State World Trade Commission, 1983-1984
Commission on the Status of Women, 1977-1990
The Maxine Waters Papers consist of 19 cubic feet of textual and photographic records. These materials document Waters’ activities
in the California State Assembly from 1976-1990. They are organized into seven series: Bill Files, Subject Files, South Africa
Files, Hearing Files, Correspondence Files, Press Releases and Photographs. Also included in these papers are records related
to the Commission on the Status of Women, on which Waters served as an Honorary Legislative Member. These records of this
subgroup are organized into six series: Meeting Minutes, Pending Legislative Summaries, Commission Business Papers, Meeting
Files, Subject Files and California Women Files.
The Bill Files series reflects Water’s long-standing interests in small business development, minority rights, and divesting
of California dollars from South Africa. Waters consistently authored legislation to protect minority populations from discrimination.
She continuously authored bills pertaining to victims’ rights. AB270 and AB1367 (1983-1984) are bills concerning the rights
of arrested persons. The bills were conceived after two Californian women were strip searched after being arrested for failing
to properly license their dogs. The original bill was vetoed by Governor Deukmejian along with a number of other bills written
by Waters due to a dispute they were having. The bills drew in correspondence from all over the state in both support and
opposition. When she reintroduced the bill later in the session, it was passed into law (Statutes of 1984, chapter 35). She
also authored numerous bills each session concerning women. AB290 (1979-1980) would protect the rights of women working in
the hazardous materials industry. This bill made it possible for women to take these jobs without the threat of forced sterilization.
The bill passed through the legislature and was signed by the governor in 1980 as Chapter 619.
Waters also took a great interest in small business development in California. In the 1979-1980 legislative session she introduced
AB1656, AB1657 and AB1701, all with the intent of aiding the small business owners of California. AB1656 restructured the
Office of Small Business Development within the Department of Economic and Business Development; AB1657 was written to appropriate
$1 million of the state budget for the California Small Business Loan Program; and AB1701 was authored in order to establish
a twenty-five percent state set-aside for small businesses to be able to obtain contracts with the state. Of the three bills,
however, only AB1656 went into effect (Statutes of 1979, chapter 875), which successfully reorganized the Office of Small
Business Development.
Another piece of notable legislation authored by Waters was HR6 (1977-1978), a bill to ensure that female assembly members
would be known as Assemblywomen rather than Assemblymen, as they had been previously.
Additional Information
Related Collections at the California State Archives
Assembly Elections and Reapportionment
Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments
Assembly Human Resources
Assembly Governmental Efficiency and Cost Control
Assembly Governmental Organization
Assembly Judiciary
Assembly Labor, Employment and Consumer Affairs
Assembly Local Government
Assembly Public Investment, Finance and Bonded Indebtedness
Assembly Rules
Assembly Ways and Means
No further accruals are expected.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Minority business enterprises - California
Democratic Party (Calif.)
Affirmative action programs - California