Assembly Public Safety Committee Records, 1959-2010

Summary

Title:

California State Assembly Public Safety Committee Records

Dates:

1959-2010

Creators:

Assembly Public Safety Committee

Abstract:

The Assembly Public Safety Committee Records span from 1959 to 2010, consisting of 192 cubic feet of records (including audiovisual materials) reflecting the activity of the committee in overseeing legislation and other matters affecting California's criminal justice, correctional needs, and public safety. The records were created by four different records creators: (1) Assembly Criminal Procedure Committee, 1959-1970; (2) Assembly Criminal Justice Committee, 1971-1982; (3) Assembly Criminal Law and Public Safety Committee, 1983-1984; (4) and Assembly Public Safety Committee, 1985-2010.

Extent:

193 cubic feet, including audiocassettes, audio disc (CD), dictabelts, videocassettes, and videodiscs (DVD)

Language:

Languages represented in the collection: English

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Assembly Public Safety Committee records, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The Assembly Public Safety Committee Records span from 1959 to 2010, consisting of 192 cubic feet of records (including audiovisual materials) reflecting the activity of the committee in overseeing legislation and other matters affecting California’s criminal justice, correctional needs, and public safety. The records were created by four different records creators: (1) Assembly Criminal Procedure Committee, 1959-1970; (2) Assembly Criminal Justice Committee, 1971-1982; (3) Assembly Criminal Law and Public Safety Committee, 1983-1984; (4) and Assembly Public Safety Committee, 1985-2010. The collection is organized into twelve series: Bill Files (1959-2010), Subject Files (1956-2000), Hearing Files (1960-1994), Correspondence Files (1985-1991), Workload Reports (1968-1974), Agendas (1983-1990), Agendas and Roll Calls (1981-1984), Prison Files (1976-1986), Consultant Correspondence (1986-1991), Summary Files (1987-1992), and Author’s Amendment Files (1990-1992).

Researchers interested in the history of the California Penal Code, public safety, criminal procedure and criminal justice will find the Assembly Public Safety Committee records useful. Legal researchers will find the Consultant Correspondence series helpful while researching the legality of various bills introduced by committee members. Researchers interested in prison reform and restructuring will find the Prison Files series helpful in their research. Furthermore, the records reveal how the scope and responsibilities of the committee changed and expanded each time it was renamed. The committee focused on subjects relating to criminal justice and procedural bill files with a minimum importance of anti-crime bills, as seen with committee hearings pertaining to the 1965 Watts Riots and riot responses and the Los Angeles County Justice System Subvention Program (AB90, 1979-1980). The committee’s greater emphasis on public safety matters begins during the 1983-1984 legislative session and the creation of the Assembly Criminal Law and Public Safety. Public safety-related records include Hearing Files regarding the 1984 Victim’s Rights Bill (Proposition 8, 1984) and the 1984 Safe Schools Legislation Package (AB2480-AB2484, 1983-1984). Notable legislation passed by the Assembly Public Safety Committee includes Three Strikes Initiative (AB971/Proposition 184, 1994) and Matt’s Law/college hazing (SB1454, 2005-2006).

Biographical / historical:

The Assembly Public Safety Committee is the most recent assembly committee to oversee the California Penal Code. The committee was originally a part of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, which began with the first legislative session in 1849. The original Judiciary Committee dealt with a broad legislative scope regarding both penal and civil matters. The division between the Assembly Judiciary Committee and the committee that would become the Assembly Public Safety Committee occurred in 1959, as a method to alleviate the workload of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. Committee members endured lengthy bi-weekly hearing sessions, ranging from 8 p.m. to midnight. During these strenuous meetings, committee members heard and deliberated thousands of bills a week. At the suggestion of Assemblyman John O’Connell, the Assembly Judiciary Committee was divided into two scopes: Civil Codes and Penal Codes. In accordance with House Resolution 24 of 1959, the Assembly Judiciary Committee was split into the Assembly Criminal Procedure Committee and the Assembly Judiciary-Civil Committee. As the scope of the new Judiciary Committee dealt with California’s Civil Code, the Assembly Criminal Procedure Committee oversaw bills relating to the Penal Code, sanctions and criminal offenses. Furthermore, the resolution established the committee both as a standing committee and an interim committee.

During the 1971 session, the name of the standing committee was changed to the Assembly Criminal Justice Committee. The committee maintained the same subject scope as its predecessor, administering bills relating to the Penal Code and constitutional rights. The committee focused on subjects involving the study of peace officers, juvenile court law, qualification of counsel in capital cases, inspection of stolen vehicles, grand juries, youth authority and prisons (construction and discipline), felony offenses and those misdemeanor violations not incidental to the subject matter of another committee. For most of the committee’s history, the Assembly Criminal Justice Committee was chaired by Democrats, including Alan Sieroty, Bill McVittie and Terry Goggin.

In 1983, House Resolution 8 renamed the committee the Assembly Criminal Law and Public Safety Committee, altering the committee’s scope to focus on matters regarding public safety. Examples of the committee’s public safety focus include subjects such as juvenile justice reform and school violence prevention. Committee members introduced a bi-partisan bill aimed to enforce appropriate punishment of juvenile offenders, increase public protection against juvenile crime and prevent juvenile crime by more effective methods of rehabilitation. On the subject of school violence, committee members proposed bills with the goal of protecting students and promoting a safe learning environment. Examples of school violence bills include increase penalties for campus crimes against students and faculty, along with penalties against campus trespassers.

In 1985, the committee was renamed as the Assembly Public Safety Committee at the behest of committee chairman Larry Stirling. Enforced by House Resolution 8, the committee maintained the scope of the Assembly Criminal Law and Public Safety, merely changing the title to Public Safety to “focus more on its intended purposes”. Later, committee chairman Robert Hertzberg (D) authored various bills relating to anti-crime measures, such as the establishment of inter-agency gang intervention programs, enhanced sentencing for drug manufactures, and outlawing internet stalking and harassment.

The chairs of these committees from 1959 to 2010 were:

Assembly Criminal Procedure Committee, 1959-1970

O’Connell, John (Dem.), 1959-62

Winton, Gordon (Dem.), 1963

Young, Pearce (Dem.), 1964-1966

Biddle, W. Craig (Rep.), 1967-1968

Murphy, Frank (Rep.), 1969-1970

Assembly Criminal Justice Committee, 1971-1982

Beverly, Robert G. (Rep.), 1971-1972

Sieroty, Alan (Dem.), 1973-1976

Maddy, Kenneth L. (Rep.), 1977-1978

McVittie, Bill (Dem.), 1979-1980

Goggin, Terry (Dem.), 1981-1982

Assembly Criminal Law and Public Safety Committee, 1983-1984

Sher, Byron (Dem.), 1983-1984

Assembly Public Safety Committee, 1985-2010

Stirling, Larry (Rep.), 1985-1988

Burton, John L. (Dem.), 1989-1992

Epple, Bob (Dem.), 1993-1994

Boland, Paula (Rep.), 1995-1996

Hertzberg, Robert (Dem.), 1997-1998

Honda, Michael (Dem.), 1999-2000

Washington, Carl (Dem.), 2001-2002

Leno, Mark (Dem.), 2003-2006

Solorio, Jose (Dem.), 2007-2010

Acquisition information:

The State Archives received these records in accordance with California Government Code 9080(b) which requires legislative committees to transfer their records to the State Archives when they are no longer needed by the committee.

Accruals:

Further accruals are expected.

Physical location:

California State Archives

Rules or conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Related resources

Related material:

Assembly Judiciary Committee records

Senate Public Safety Committee records

Robert G. Beverly papers

Frank Murphy papers

Paula Boland papers

John L. Burton papers

Bob Epple papers

Michael Honda papers

Robert M. Hertzberg papers

Kenneth L. Maddy papers

William McVittie papers

Carl Washington papers

Oral Histories

John L. Burton, Oral History Interview, 1986-1987, Conducted by Julie Shearer, University of California, Berkeley, for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program.

Honorable John A. O’Connell, Oral History Interview, 1955-1961, Conducted by Carole Hicke, Oral History Program, University of California: Berkeley, for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program.

Alan G. Sieroty, Oral History Interview, 1989-1990, Conducted by Carlos Vasquez, Oral History Program, UCLA Oral History Program, for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program.

Gordon H. Winton, Jr, Oral History Interview, 1987, Conducted by Enid H. Douglass, Claremont Graduate School, for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program.

Microfilm

Bill Files for the Assembly Criminal Procedure Committee from 1970; Assembly Criminal Justice Committee from 1971-1976; Assembly Criminal Law and Public Safety Committee from 1983-1984; and Assembly Public Safety Committee from 1985-1990 are available on microfilm at the California State Archives. Researchers are asked to use the microfilm copies when available.

Note to Researchers

Researchers interested in this committee are advised to check the papers of its Chairs. Committee Chairs often kept materials relating to committee operations among their personal files. For Chair papers available at the California State Archives or other repositories, this information can be found in the committee history.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Juvenile delinquency - California
School violence - California - Prevention
Prisons - Law and legislation - California

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:

Processed by Archives Staff and Melodi Andersen

Date Prepared:

© 2013

Date Encoded:

Machine-readable finding aid created by Jason Sarmiento. Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word. Date of source: 1 September 2013.

Restrictions:

While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Assembly Public Safety Committee records, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Location of this collection:

California State Archives

1020 "O" Street

Sacramento, CA 95814, US

Contact:

(916) 653-2246

reference@sos.ca.gov

Website