Inventory of the Maxine Waters Papers, 1976-1990
California State Archives
© 2014
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/
California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
Inventory of the Maxine Waters Papers
Collection number:LP411
California State ArchivesOffice of the Secretary of State
Sacramento, California
- Processed by:
- Michelle Voelker
- Date Completed:
- May 2010
- Encoded by:
- Ignacio Sanchez-Alonso
© 2014 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.
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
LP411:1-173
Series 1 Bill Files 1977-19901
Physical Description: 173 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by legislative session, then numerically by bill number.
Scope and Content Note
Most bill files include all or some of the following items: bill analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements,
press releases, newspaper clippings, and correspondence. Water's legislative interests included women’s rights, small business
development and victims’ rights. Waters authored multiple bills related to divesting California from South Africa. Notable
legislation includes AB2808 (1981-1982), which aimed to create the South African Divestment Act; AB134 and AB1134 (1983-1984)
also called for California to divest from South Africa. She also authored legislation to alleviate some of the problems facing
employees of industrial plants which closed or were closing. Such legislation included AB952 (1983-1984), AB607 (1987-1988)
and AB2839 (1981-1982). The issue of plant closures drew in correspondence from around the country, as the issue was becoming
a national concern.
1977-1978 AB548-AB3769, ACA85, ACR62-ACR72, AJR23-AJR93,HR6-HR7 (17ff) LP411:1-17
1979-1980 AB143-AB3461, ACR20-ACR123, AJR4-AJR68 (24ff) LP411:18-41
1981-1982 AB208-AB3722, ACR146, AJR94-AJR114, AB6X-AB21X (25ff) LP411:42-66
1983-1984 AB95-AB4047, ACA36, AJR13-AJR127 (31ff) LP411:67-97
1985-1986 AB126-AB4367, AJR5-AJR101 (30ff) LP411:98-127
1987-1988 AB292-AB4347, ACA5, AJR85, HR26-HR27 (22ff) LP411:128-149
1989-1990 AB126-AB4055, ACA46, AJR105, AB12X-AB51X (24ff) LP411:150-173
LP411:174-286
Series 2 Subject Files 1977-1990
Physical Description: 113 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject heading.
Scope and Content Note
Subject files contain information on topics that were relevant to the legislation Waters authored or to the committees on
which she was a member. Included are memoranda from Waters’ office, newspaper articles, photographs, and reports. Waters served
as a representative to the Democratic National Convention in the early 1980s. As a result, numerous files pertaining to the
political party’s national affairs are included in her subject files. Other files relate to topics concerning her district,
such as the Los Angeles County Board of Education and Los Angeles County Board of Health.
For a complete list of subject files, see Appendix A in Additional Series Information.
LP411:287-334
Series 3 South Africa Files 1981-1989
Physical Description: 48 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by the subject heading.
Scope and Content Note
South Africa files contain information on topics that were relevant to the legislation Waters authored pertaining to the country
of South Africa and apartheid during the 1980s. The files include newspaper clippings and monthly publications relating to
the happenings in South Africa. Also found in the South Africa Files are lists of Californian and American companies who had
investments in South Africa. There is correspondence from companies and constituents giving their opinion on the matter. In
these files are reports by certain businesses that invested in South Africa, such as IBM, who gave reports to the Assembly
as to what they are doing to divest or future plans of divestment.
For a complete list of South Africa files, see Appendix B in Additional Series Information.
LP411:335-337
Series 4 Hearing Files 19778-1979
Physical Description: 3 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by hearing date.
Scope and Content Note
Hearing Files consist of material related to a Special Hearing on the Report of the Office of Small Business Development (05/04/1978)
held by the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, of which she was a member. Also found in the series are interim hearings before
the Assembly Committee of Public Employees and Retirement (12/07/1978) where she introduced legislation regarding layoffs
based on seniority. She authored this bill so that jobs gained by affirmative action programs would not be lost due to work
force reductions. An interim hearing on AB290 was held before the Assembly Labor, Employment and Consumer Affairs Committee
on November 16, 1979. Waters was a member of the committee and was also presented her legislation at this hearing. Waters
authored AB290 on the topic of forced sterilization for women working in the hazardous materials industry.
LP411:338-383
Series 5 Correspondence 1977-1990
Physical Description: 46 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence Files contain a sampling of letters sent to Waters on specific subjects. Waters’ staff organized the letters
by topic in order to compose form letter responses. Some files contain examples of the form letter and relate to such topics
as the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, Minorities in Business, South Gate, Taxes, and the University of California.
For a complete list of Correspondence, see Appendix C in Additional Series Information.
LP411:384-388
Series 6 Press Releases 1976-1990
Physical Description: 5 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged numerically and chronologically by year.
Scope and Content Note
Press Releases were announcements about topics that Waters wanted noticed or activities and legislation she was involved in.
Some of the topics included in this series are legislation introduced by Waters, announcements of press conferences, and legislation
authored by Waters and signed by the governor. Waters and her staff assigned a number to each press release in the order in
which she released them. Numbers 1-193 are the press releases from 1976-1984. Each year after that saw the numbering start
over. In 1985:1-29, 1986: 1-17, 1987:1-12, 1988:1-19 and 1990:1-9. The press releases from 1989 were not included in her files.
LP411:389-396
Series 7 Photographs 1985-1990
Physical Description: 8 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by the group heading.
Scope and Content Note
The photographs in this series are mainly of the Champions Dinners that Waters hosted in order to honor various athletes of
African-American descent or athletes living in her district. These athletes included Jack Youngblood, Ron Brown, John Matuszak,
Timmy Smith, Terry Schroeder, Willy Gault, Charles Lake, Linden King, Mike Haynes, and Valerie Brisco-Hooks. Other photos
included are of a dinner for the Black American Political Association, photos of the legislature in the late 1980s, and photos
taken of Waters with Reverend Jesse Jackson.
California Commission on the Status of Women 1977-1988
According to a press release in 1977 from Assembly Speaker Leo T. McCarthy, the Commission on the Status of Women “acts as
the state’s information center on the status of women in the areas of education, employment, politics, social attitudes, economics
and law. It aids in projects designed to promote the full participation of women in all aspects of society.” The commission
was charged with conducting studies and reporting their findings to the legislature. Maxine Waters served on the commission
from 1977-1990.
LP411:397-407
Series 1 Meeting Minutes 1986-1988
Physical Description: 11 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by date.
The Meeting Minutes contain proposed agendas, minutes of meetings, background information, legislative updates, and relevant
correspondence for a designated meeting. The meetings were usually held once a month in Sacramento, in the Governor’s conference
room. Discussed in the meetings were topics including pay inequities, equal opportunity to jobs and education, and issues
of minority women throughout California.
LP411:408-412
Series 2 Pending Legislative Summaries 1993-1986
Physical Description: 5 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by month
The Pending Legislative Summaries were monthly updates published by the Commission in regard to all legislation currently
in the legislature that affected women. Since the Commission consulted with individuals and groups, they had to stay current
on the legislation that would affect women and thus authored these packets so that each member would be able to do so.
LP411:413-438
Series 3 Commission Business Papers 1977-1988
Physical Description: 26 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by year.
The Business Papers of the Commission contain incoming and outgoing correspondence between the Commission on the Status of
Women and representatives of affected groups and state agencies. The files also include financial statements, and various
types of approvals and amendments pertaining to Commission policies. The majority of these files consist of correspondence
and focus on the day-to-day workings of the Commission.
LP411:439-451
Series 4 Meeting Files 1984-1987
Physical Description: 13 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by date of meeting.
The Meeting Files include agendas, minutes from previous meetings, transcripts, correspondence, reports, notes on general
discussion, calendars for scheduled meetings, and budget information. Each file contains a tentative agenda for the next meeting
and items that would be heard then. Each item was assigned a number that corresponded to a number on the agenda. Most items
were reports published by the Commission for review by the Legislature. Other topics discussed in meetings included pay inequities,
equal opportunity to jobs and education, and issues of minority women throughout California.
LP411:452-454
Series 5 Subject Files 1982-1986
Physical Description: 3 file folders
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by subject heading.
Subject Files contain information on topics that were relevant to the Commission on the Status of Women. The Subject Files
include a press kit given to members of the Commission so they would be prepared to answer questions about the business of
the Commission. Also included is a file containing a proposed duty statement of the Executive Director of the Commission,
which was written in response to the Commission’s evaluations of the Director. The last subject file contains a response by
the Commission to the Legislative Analyst’s questions about the budget for the Commission in 1986.
LP411:455
Series 6 California Women File 1983-1988
Physical Description: 1 file folder
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically by date of publication.
California Women is a monthly newsletter that details the current happenings of the Commissions on the Status of Women. Waters
received the publications regularly, although she did not keep every copy issued to her. The publication discusses legislation
pertaining to women as it moves through the legislature. It also has a message from the chair in each issue.