Inventory of the Charles R. Imbrecht Papers

Processed by Nicholas Jackson

California State Archives

1020 "O" Street

Sacramento, California 95814

Phone: (916) 653-2246

Fax: (916) 653-7363

Email: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov

URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/

Inventory of the Charles Imbrecht Papers

Collection number: LP436

California State Archives

Office of the Secretary of State

Sacramento, California

Processed by:: Nicholas Jackson
Date Completed:: January 2012
Encoded by:: Cori Schmidtbauer

Descriptive Summary

Title: Charles Imbrecht Papers

Dates: 1976-1983

Collection number: LP436

Creator: Charles Imbrecht, California Legislator

Collection Size: 8 cubic feet

Repository: California State Archives

Sacramento, California

Abstract: Charles Richard Imbrecht, Republican, was a State Assembly Member from 1977 until 1982, and represented the 36th Assemby District. Record series in his papers include Bill Files, 1977-1982; Assembly Ways and Means Committee Files, 1979-1983; Subject Files, 1976-1983; District Issues, 1976-1982; Speeches, 1977-1982; and Press Releases, 1977-1982.

Physical location: California State Archives

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Administrative Information

Access

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

Publication Rights

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], Charles Imbrecht Papers, LP436:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Acquisition and Custodial History

The California State Archives acquired the Charles Imbrecht Papers following his final term in the State Legislature.

Biography

Charles Richard Imbrecht, Republican, was a State Assembly Member from 1977 until 1982. His 36th Assembly District included the cities of Ventura, Camarillo, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, and Santa Paula within Ventura County.

Imbrecht was born on February 4, 1949 in Ventura, California. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Occidental College and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Law School. He was the Business Editor of the Loyola Law Review, the captain of the National Moot Court Team, and a published author on criminal law. Before his term as a member of the California State Assembly began, he worked as a staff attorney for the Interstate Commerce Commission in Washington, D.C.

Imbrecht ran for election in California's 36th Assembly District in 1976 at the age of 27. He was unopposed in the Republican primary and won an upset victory in the General Election. From 1977 until 1978, Imbrecht was the youngest member of the State Legislature. He was re-elected in 1978 with 67% of the vote and in 1980 with 68% of the vote. In 1979, he was chosen to serve as the Republican Party's Caucus Chairman.

In addition, Imbrecht was the Assembly's representative on the California Judicial Council. He also served on the California Commission on Finance and was a delegate to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Commission of the Californias. In 1982, Imbrecht gave up his seat in the Assembly in order to run for election in California's 18th Senate District. He lost to Democrat Gary Hart, but was appointed to serve as the Chairman of the California Energy Commission the following year. As chairman, he served on the Commission's Budget and Management Committee and the Legislative Committee. Imbrecht resigned from the Energy Commission in 1997. He died of a heart attack on January 18, 2000.

During his time in the Legislature, Imbrecht was a member of the following committees:

State Assembly, 1977-1982

Standing Committees
Finance, Insurance and Commerce, 1981-1982
Housing and Community Development, 1977-1978
Judiciary, 1977-1982 (Vice Chair, 1979-1982)
Vice Chair, 1979-1982
Policy Research Management, 1981-1982
Revenue and Taxation, 1977-1980
Ways and Means, 1979-1982 (Chair, 1981-1982)
Chair, 1981-1982
Subcommittees
Constitutional Amendments, 1979-1980 (Chair, 1979-1980)
Chair, 1979-1980
Health and Welfare, 1979-1980
Select Committees
Energy Alternatives in Agriculture, 1981-1982 (Vice Chair, 1982; Farm Labor, 1980; Non-Profit Corporations Code, 1977-1980)
Vice Chair, 1982 Farm Labor, 1980 Non-Profit Corporations Code, 1977-1980
Joint Committees
Legislative Audit, 1981-1982
Legislative Budget, 1981-1982
Tort Liability, 1979

Scope and Content

The Charles R. Imbrecht Papers consist of 8 cubic feet of textual records reflecting Imbrecht's legislative activities during his time as a member of the California State Legislature. Record series include Bill Files, 1977-1982; Assembly Ways and Means Committee Files, 1979-1983; Subject Files, 1976-1983; District Issues, 1976-1982; Speeches, 1977-1982; and Press Releases, 1977-1982.

The Bill Files are particularly useful for researchers interested in topics relating to California's state budget or judicial system. As chair of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, Imbrecht oversaw the passage of all fiscal bills. As an attorney and Vice Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, he also focused on issues concerning courts and court personnel, custody disputes, and tort reform. Other topics of note within this series include education funding, taxes, and transportation.

The Assembly Ways and Means Committee Files, Subject Files, District Issues, Speeches, and Press Releases also shed light on Imbrecht's legislative activities and the issues affecting the 36th Assembly District between 1976 and 1983. Imbrecht's topics of interest included highway safety, education, energy resources, and water rights. He worked to improve rural schools and the state highway systems. He also advocated for alternative energy sources, water use efficiency, and clarifications in water rights law.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Charles R. Imbrecht

California. Legislature. Assembly

United States. Interstate Commerce Commission.

LP436:1-82

Series 1 Bill Files 1977-1982

Physical Description: 82 file folders

Arrangement

Bill files are arranged chronologically by legislative session and numerically by bill number.

Scope and Content Note

Bill files created by Charles R. Imbrecht may include bill analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements, testimony, press releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, committee statements, and other information. Some bills of note include AB334 (1977-1978) and AB126 (1979-1980), which developed improvements for California State Route 126; AB457 (1981-1982), which enhanced sentences for rape and child molestation convictions; and AB2202 (1981-1982), which made joint custody the first preference in awarding child custody and changed the rebuttable presumption, affecting the burden of proof, that joint custody is in the best interests of the child.

1977-1978: AB334-AB3808, ACA84, ACR60, AJR66-AJR86 (LP436:1-23)

1979-1980: AB129-AB3129, ACA32, ACR119, AJR54 (LP436:24-53)

1981-1982: AB126-AB3811, ACA8, AJR116-AJR119 (LP436:54-82)

LP436:83-133

Series 2 Assembly Ways and Means Committee Files 1974-1998

Physical Description: 51 file folders

Arrangement

The Assembly Ways and Means Committee Files are arranged into two subseries: (a) Correspondence and (b) Budgets. Correspondence is arranged chronologically by month and budgets are arranged chronologically by year, then alphabetically by subject headings.

Scope and Content Note

Charles R. Imbrecht served on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee from 1979 until 1982 and chaired the committee from 1981 until 1982. The Correspondence consists of letters to and from Imbrecht and other committee members pertaining to fiscal bills, committee research, and other budget issues. The Budgets contain reports, correspondence, and newspaper clippings. The information in each file relates to a subject and its impact on the state budget. Some notable subjects include abortion, public schools, and energy resources.

LP436:134-198

Series 3 Subject Files 1976-1983

Physical Description: 65 file folders

Arrangement

Subject Files are arranged alphabetically by subject heading.

Scope and Content Note

Subject files created by Charles R. Imbrecht include correspondence, memoranda, reports, photographs, blueprints, publications, and ephemera. The subject files contain information gathered by Imbrecht in support of his legislative activities and his participation in various committees. Files pertain to such topics as agriculture in Ventura County, abortion funding, child molestation, public school system funding, reapportionment, and the state highway safety.

For a list of subject headings see Appendix A at the California State Archives.

LP436:199-222

Series 4 District Issues 1976-1982

Physical Description: 24 file folders

Arrangement

District Issues files are arranged alphabetically by subject heading.

Scope and Content Note

The District Issues series created by Charles R. Imbrecht includes correspondence, memoranda, reports, photographs, blueprints, and publications. The files contain information gathered by Imbrecht on issues pertain to California's 36th Assembly District. The topics include Camarillo, Camarillo State Hospital, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, and Ventura County.

For a list of subject headings see Appendix B at the California State Archives.

LP436:223-246

Series 5 Speeches 1977-1982

Physical Description: 24 file folders

Arrangement

Speeches are arranged alphabetically by subject heading.

Scope and Content Note

Speeches delivered by Charles R. Imbrecht. The files in this series also contain correspondence, reports, and publications. Some notable speech topics include public school system funding, housing and redevelopment, state highway funding, and tort reform.

For a list of subject headings see Appendix C at the California State Archives.

LP436:247-253

Series 6 Press Releases 1977-1982

Physical Description: 7 file folders

Arrangement

Press Releases are arranged chronologically by legislative session.

Scope and Content Note

Press releases issued by Charles R. Imbrecht. The press releases mainly relate to legislation introduced by Imbrecht. Other notable topics include appointments, housing and community development, Republican Party matters, and state highway safety. Indices for the press releases for each legislative session are available within the series.