Inventory of the Nicholas C. Petris Papers

Processed by Patricia C. Gregory and Rebecca Weisberg

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 Nicholas C. Petris Papers

Collection numbers: LP318

California State Archives

Office of the Secretary of State

Sacramento, California

Processed by:: Patricia C. Gregory and Rebecca Weisberg
Date Completed:: 1 August 2008
Encoded by:: Sara Kuzak

Descriptive Summary

Title: Inventory of the Nicholas C. Petris Papers

Dates: 1959-1996

Collection numbers: LP318

Creator: Petris, Nicholas

Collection Size: 51 cubic feet

Repository: California State Archives

Sacramento, California

Abstract: Nicholas (Nick) C. Petris, Democrat, was a State Assembly Member, 1959-1966, and a State Senator, 1967-1996. The Nicholas C. Petris Papers consist of 51 cubic feet of records covering 1959-1996. The collection is organized into four series: Bill Files, Subject Files, Press Releases, and Videotapes and Audiotapes.

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], Nicholas C. Petris Papers, LP318:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Acquisition History

The Nicholas Petris papers were donated to the California State Archives following his term in the State Legislature.

Biography

Nicholas (Nick) C. Petris, Democrat, was a State Assembly Member, 1959-1966, and a State Senator, 1967-1996. He represented Alameda County's Assembly District 15 until 1966, when he was elected Senator. During his first ten years in the Senate, Petris represented Senate District 11, which covered Alameda County at large. Following redistricting in 1976, he represented Senate District 9, which now included parts of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, including the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond, and Emeryville. He held that post until 1996, when term limits forced him to retire.

Nicholas Petris was born on February 25, 1923 in Oakland, California, the son of Greek immigrants. Petris' family spoke Greek in the home, and he did not learn English until he started school. After graduating from McClymonds High School in Oakland he attended the University of California at Berkeley. He graduated in 1943 with a degree in Journalism, and served three years in the U.S. Army Anti Aircraft Artillery during World War II. Petris then went on to attend Stanford Law School. He was admitted to the State Bar in 1949 and opened his own law office in Oakland. During this time he also served on the Redevelopment Agency of Oakland, the Social Service Bureau, the Oakland Council of Churches, and the Alameda County Council on Social Planning. It was also during this time that he became involved in Democratic Party politics.

As a legislator, he was Vice Chairman of the California Democratic Council, a member of the Governor's Advisory Committee on the Chile-California Program, and the San Francisco Bay Conservation Study Commission. In addition, he was Director of the YMCA Youth Legislature, member of the Native Sons of the Golden West, on the board of the Anatolia College in Thesolanika, Greece, President of the Greek Orthodox Church of Oakland, President of Modern Greek Studies Foundation in San Francisco, President of the Greek Orthodox Church of Oakland, Ecumenical Patriarchate, Order of St. Andrew, Commander, Order of the Phoenix, Republic of Greece.

Petris' legislative career reflected his strong dedication to health care, the environment, labor issues, and public safety. He co-authored the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act (1969) that mandated civil rights for the mentally ill, as well as introducing bills that would have banned DDT and limited cars to one per family. Other legislation he championed mandated car seats for children, banned smoking on airplanes, and limited filling of San Francisco Bay. One of his proudest achievements was sponsoring a bill that created kidney dialysis centers, which have saved thousands of lives.

Petris was proud of his Greek heritage, and remained a prominent member of the Greek community throughout his career. He was also known for being a staunch liberal and an eloquent, compelling public speaker.

During his term in the legislature, Nicholas Petris was a member of the following committees:

California State Assembly, 1959-1966

Standing Committees

Constitutional Amendments, 1965-1966

Criminal Procedure, 1959-1962

Vice chair, 1959-1960

Elections and Reapportionment, 1959-1966

Chair, 1961-1962

Government Organization, 1961-1962

Vice Chair

Judiciary, 1963-1964

Revenue and Taxation, 1959-1966

Chair, 1963-1966

Transportation and Commerce, 1959-1960

Ways and Means, 1961-1966

Subcommittees

Assessment Practices, 1965-1966

Campaign Practices, 1965-1966

Correctional Facilities, 1961-1962

Economic Development, 1963-1964

Electronic Data Processing, 1963-1964

General Studies, 1965-1966

Health, Education and Welfare Services, 1965-1966

Chair

Income Taxation, 1961-1962

Chair

Institutions, 1963-1964

Chair

Long Range Budgeting, 1963-1964

Mental Health, 1963-1966

Revenue Sources, 1961-1962

State Purchasing, 1961-1962

Tax Administration, 1961-1962

Tax Exemptions, 1961-1962

Tourist Trade, 1961-1962

California State Senate, 1967-1996

Standing Committees

Budget and Fiscal Review, 1985-1996

Constitutional Amendments, 1995-1996

Elections and Reapportionment, 1971-1974

Finance, 1975-1984

Health and Welfare, 1970

Housing and Urban Affairs, 1983-1989

Industrial Relations, 1984-1996

Judiciary, 1970-1976, 1981-1996

Vice Chair, 1970-1976

Labor, 1967-1968

Chair

Labor and Social Welfare, 1969

Local Government, 1968-1969, 1971-1974

Natural Resources, 1967-1969

Vice Chair, 1969

Natural Resources and Wildlife, 1970

Public Health and Safety, 1967

Public Utilities and Corporations, 1969

Revenue and Taxation, 1968-1980, 1985-1989, 1995-1996

Vice Chair, 1977-1978

Rules, 1975-1996

Social Welfare, 1968

Toxics and Public Safety Management, 1995-1996

Water Resources, 1967, 1970-1971

Subcommittees

1992 California Quincentennial, 1987-1988

Administration of Justice, 1983-1994

Education, 1987-1996

Chair

Education and General Government, 1985-1986

Labor, 1967

Chair

Local Government, 1968

Natural Resources, 1967-1968

Postsecondary Education, State Administration and Fiscal Control, 1981-1984

Revenue and Taxation, 1967-1968

Salinity Intrusion in Agricultural Soils, 1970

Social Welfare, 1968

State Deferred Compensation Plan, 1989-1990

Victim's Rights, 1985-1990

Water Resources, 1967

Select Committees

1992 California Quincentennial, 1991-1992

Auburn Dam Project, 1984

Border Issues, Drug Trafficking and Contraband, 1987-1990

California Exposition and State Fair Oversight, 1984

California's Wine Industry, 1989-1996

Children and Youth, 1974

Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 1985-1986

Handicapped Children, 1970

Vice Chair

Health Hazards of the Workplace, 1989-1990

Chair

Housing and Urban Affairs, 1971-1982

Chair, 1971-1976

Investment Priorities and Objectives, 1977-1978

Maritime Industry, 1974, 1977-1988

Substance Abuse, 1987-1990

Joint Committees

1992 Quincentennial of the Voyages of Christopher Columbus, 1987-1992

Assessment Practices, 1969-1970

Bay Area Regional Organization, 1969

Community Development and Housing Needs, 1973-1974

Educational Goals and Evaluation, 1971-1974

Legislative Budget, 1975-1996

Legislative Organization, 1967-1968

Mental Health Research, 1989-1992

National Tax Policy, 1969

Vice Chair

Review of the Master Plan for Higher Education, 1987-1988

Rules, 1975-1996

Sir Francis Drake Celebration, 1973

Tort Liability, 1989-1992

Worker's Compensation, 1993-1996

Scope and Content

The Nicholas C. Petris Papers consist of 51 cubic feet of records covering 1959-1996. The collection is organized into four series: Bill Files, Subject Files, Press Releases, and Videotapes and Audiotapes.

The bill files document Petris' legislative activity during his term as a member of the California State Legislature. The bills introduced by Nicholas Petris include a wide variety of subjects, including such topics as the environment, education, health care, tax reform, and children and senior citizens' issues. Bills Senator Petris introduced included attempts to ban the internal combustion engine, stop the filling of San Francisco Bay, and regulate pesticide usage. He was an advocate for improving care of the mentally challenged, providing health care and adequate housing to farm workers, promoting an equitable tax structure; improving the social conditions and safety of children, senior citizens, and rights of recipients on public assistance.

The Subject Files provide additional information on the various topics of the Petris' legislation, as well as subjects of personal interest to the Senator. Topics of particular interest include budget issues, child safety belts, and reapportionment. Press Releases were created by Petris and his staff to publicize legislation he authored and activities he participated in during his tenure in the legislature. Finally, there is an assortment of audiotapes and videotapes relating to topics of interest to the Senator and his legislation, such as health care and education.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Indexing Terms

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

Petris, Nicholas

Child car seats

Budget --California

Related Collections at the California State Archives

Assembly Elections and Reapportionment Committee Records

Oral History

Nicholas C. Petris, Oral History Interview, Conducted 1988 and 1989 by Gabrielle Morris, Regional Oral History Office, University of California at Berkeley, for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program.

LP318:1-794, LP318:993-1008

Series 1 Bill Files 1956-1996

Physical Description: 811 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by legislative session, then numerically by bill number.

Scope and Content Note

Bill Files may include correspondence, author's statements, analyses, research reports; press releases and newspaper clippings. Bills of particular interest include SB1493 (1979-1980), which addressed the Attorney General's authority over California churches and religious groups, SB537 (1981-1982), which required child car seat restraints, and SB778 (1969), which attempted to ban internal combustion engines. There are also extensive records available on the Tax Justice Act of 1977 (SB154), which provided property tax relief for homeowners and renters.

1959: AB1810-AB2824 (3ff) LP318:1-3

1961: AB200-AB2029. ACA. ACR. AJR (11ff) LP318:4-14

1962: AB33X, HR 21X (2ff) LP318:15-16

1963: AB63-AB3068, ACAs, ACRs, HRs (20ff) LP318:17-36

1964: AB19X-AB201X, ACAXs, ACRXs, HRXs (1ff) LP318:37-42

1965: AB15-AB3064, ACAs, ACRs, HRs, AB1X-AB12X (14ff) LP318:43-56

1966: AB10X-AB150X, AB5XX-AB10XX (10ff) LP318:57-66

1967: SB68-SB1319, SCAs, SJRs, SRs (3ff) LP318:67-79

1968: SB268-SB1118, SRs, SB7X - SB8X, SCA1X (14ff) LP318:80-92A

1969: SB333-SB1321, SCAs, SCRs, SRs (11ff) LP318:93-103

1970: SB66-SB1422 (34ff) LP318:104-137

1971: SB30-SB1523, SCAs, SCRs (23ff) LP318:138-160

1972: SB7-SB2475, SCAs, SCRs (28ff) LP318:161-188

1973-1974: SB15-SB2470, SCAs, SCRs, SJRs (41ff) LP318:189-229

1975-1976: SB33-SB2082, SCRs, SJRs (23ff) LP318:230-252

1977-1978: SB154-SB2220 (48ff) LP318:252-299

1979-1980: SB30-SB1981, SCAs, SCRs, SJRs (49ff) LP318:300-348; SB1493 (16ff) LP318:993-1008

1981-1982: SB317-SB2074, SCRs, SJRs, SRs (72ff) LP318:349-420

1983-1984: SB23-SB2322 (85ff) LP318:421-505

1985-1986: SB199-SB2580, SJR3 (64ff) LP318:506-569

1987-1988: SB82-SB2796 (70ff) LP318:570-639

1989-1990: SB36-SB2912, SCA, SCR, SB9X-SB39X (50ff) LP318:640-689

1991-1992: PREPRINT SB7-SB11, SB36-SB1854, SCAs, SCRs, SJRs (41ff) LP318:690-730

1993-1994: SB52-SB2105, SJR4 (35ff) LP318:731-765

1995-1996: SB282-SB1487 (29ff) LP318:766-794

LP318:795-982

Series 2 Subject Files 1964-1996

Physical Description: 188 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject heading.

Scope and Content Note

Subject files may include correspondence, reports, newspaper articles, and memoranda relating to Senator Petris' legislation, personal interests, and Senate district. Of particular note are those files related to budget issues, health care and mental health, and various ballot propositions.

For a list of subject files, see Appendix A at the State Archives.

LP318:983-991

Series 3 Press Releases 1970-1987

Physical Description: 9 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date of press release.

Scope and Content Note

The press releases were created and released by the staff of Senator Petris to advertise legislation he sponsored and activities in which he participated.

LP318

Series 4 Videotapes and Audiotapes 1983-1994

Physical Description: 14 videotapes and 7 audiotapes

Access Information

Access to audiovisual material requires the production of use copies.

Arrangement

Arranged by format.

Scope and Content Note

The video and audiotapes cover topics related to Petris' legislation such as health care, education, and child safety legislation. They have been separated to a cold-storage vault for preservation purposes.

Video Tapes

The Right to Health Care Act. 19 minutes

Transforming Our Schools for the 21st Century - Beyond the Box. Alameda Unified School District, August 19-20, 1991

Tobacco Education Media Campaign. - Advertising Sampler - California Dept of Health Services, 1994

"Day One". ABC TV February 28, 1994

Cigarette Company - Nicotine Level Manipulation

Senator Nick Petris Dinner August 29, 1996. 2hours 25 minutes

Borderline Medicine

Children and Infants in Car Crashes: Restrained and Unrestrained. California Highway Patrol Academy TV Services.

Farm Workers. KRON Mike O'Connor. 10 minutes - 2 "5" minute segments

Berkeley Owners In support of SB1257. 9 minutes

Student Fees. - Senator Petris VNR, February 27, 1995

Canada's National Health Program - A Model for the United States. 27 Minutes

ABS Pipes. KTVU Ch. 2, September 18, 1983, 8 minutes 35 seconds

Child Safety Seat Legislation. KNBC TV News David Horowitz and Senator Petris, May 24, 1989

Audio Tapes

SB537 California Passenger Safety Association Workshop, Child Safety Legislation. Includes list of Speakers, August 1983, 6 tapes

Senator Petris / Tom Vacar. KTVU News, November 4, 1994, 60 minutes or 60 Seconds