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Inventory of the Newton R. Russell Papers

LP457

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Table of contents

Series Description

LP457:1-635

Series 1 Bill Files 1966-1996

Physical Description: 635 file folders, 3 audiocassette tapes, and 1 videocassette tape

Arrangement

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

Access Information

Access to audiovisual material requires the production of use copies.

Scope and Content Note

Bill Files were created by Newton R. Russell while he served as an Assembly Member from 1965 to 1974 and as a State Senator from 1975 to 1996. The files may include bill analyses, amendments, resolutions, letters of support or opposition, author statements, testimonies, press releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, committee statements that pertain to numerous issues of concern to Russell.

As an Assembly Member and State Senator, Newton R. Russell's legislative interests were varied. Some topics and bills of note include: public pensions (AB3325 and AB3326 (Chapter 1477, Statutes 1973), 1973-1974; SB442, 1977-1978; SB797, 1979-1980; SB1528, 1979-1980; SB45, 1981-1982; SB680, 1981-1982; and SB53 and SB1480, 1993-1994); the industrial revenue bond law (AB4365, 1973-1974); public social services (SB403, 1975-1976); drug and alcoholic beverage regulation (SB1749 (Chapter 457, Statutes 1976), 1975-1976; SB341, 1981-1982; and SB876, 1983-1984); pornography regulation (SB428, 1977-1978; SB393, SB1700, and SB1720, 1981-1982); bilingual issues (SB1232, 1979-1980; and SJR5, 1981-1982); immigration (SB45, 1991-1992; and SB1535, 1993-1994); mediation (SB1643, 1993-1994; and SB271 and SB1429, 1995-1996); and the AIDS virus (SB1239, 1993-1994).

1966: HR201-HR316(1ff) LP457:1

1967: AB302-AB2590; ACA53; ACR113-ACR132;HR175-HR538 (6ff) LP457:2-7

1968: AB333-AB1865; ACR46-ACR151; HR383-HR555 (8ff) LP457:8-15

1969: AB278-AB2343; ACR97-ACR202; HR160-HR238 (7ff) LP457:16-22

1970: AB257-AB2171; ACR114-ACR118; HR235 (8ff) LP457:23-30

1971: AB341-AB2999; ACR7-ACR147; AJR54; HR20-HR135 (11ff) LP457:31-41

1972: AB22-AB2359; ACA4; ACR72; HR80 (13ff) LP457:42-54

1973-1974: AB201-AB4457; ACR71-ACR539; AJR85-AJR124; HR128-HR130 (15ff) LP457:55-79

1975-1976: SB403-SB2130; SCA33; SJR17-SJR59 (44ff) LP457:80-123

1977-1978: SB29-SB2237; SCR37-SCR38; SJR17-SJR50; SR18-SR19 (46ff) LP457:124-169

1979-1980: SB38-SB1831; SCA35; SCR53-SCR83; SJR44; SR16-SR26 (36ff) LP457:170-205

1981-1982: SB45-SB1963; SCR59; SJR5; SR39 (53ff) LP457:206-258

1983-1984: SB183-SB2338 (36ff) LP457:259-294

1985-1986: SB352-SB2588; SCA35-SCA39; SCR65 (36ff) LP457:295-330

1987-1988: SB275-SB2875; SCA32-SCA44; SCR49-SCR67 (38ff) LP457:331-368

1989-1990: SB105-SB2898; SCA3; SCR32-SCR98; SJR2 (58ff) LP457:369-426

1991-1992: SB45-SB2009; SCA37-SCA38; SCR24-SCR61; SJR18; SR7 (53ff) LP457:427-479

1993-1994: SB17-SB2003; SCA20-SCA30; SCR8-SCR51; SJR36; SR15-SR45; SB39X (101ff) LP457:480-580

1995-1996: SB4-SB2129; SCR19; SJR2 (54ff) LP457:581-634

1965-1986: Legislative Summaries (1ff) LP457:635

LP457:636-640

Series 2 Pastor-Prayer Subject Files 1990-1995

Physical Description: 5 file folders and 17 audiocassette tapes

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Access Information

Access to audiovisual material requires the production of use copies.

Scope and Content Note

Pastor-Prayer Subject Files document Russell's numerous efforts to reach out to religious organizations throughout the state during his time in office. This series includes chronologically ordered transcripts and audio recordings from Russell's "Call to Prayer" radio broadcasts, issues of The Company of the 10,000 newsletter, correspondence with California pastors including letters urging support for specific legislation, and bulletins and other promotional materials related to various prayer meetings. Some subjects include pornography, drugs, teen pregnancy, and gangs.

LP457:641-644

Series 3 Speech Subject Files 1991-1994

Physical Description: 4 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Scope and Content Note

Speech Subject Files document Russell's speeches at numerous political engagements on a variety of issues, such as pornography, child molestation, abstinence education, AIDS, homosexuality, rising crime rates, and family values. This series consists of general background information, which includes news clippings, correspondence, newsletters, and memoranda, related to the topics of interest; chronological speeches, which include Russell's speech transcripts; materials from the National Crimes Against Children Conference, which include correspondence, bulletins, programs, and press releases related to the conference, as well as news clippings and speech transcripts concerning Russell's topic at the event, ritualized violence against children; and speech transcripts, press clippings, news bulletins, and correspondence related to the National Day of Prayer in 1993.

LP457:645-658

Series 4 Pornography Research Files 1975-1987

Physical Description: 14 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Scope and Content Note

Pornography Research Files compile documents produced by numerous public and private organizations to regulate the production and distribution of pornographic materials. When drafting his own similar legislation, Russell consulted these research materials. Materials include hearing files from both the United States and the California State Senate Judiciary Committees; court transcripts from the California State Supreme Court, State Superior Court, the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court; recommendations from the citizens' action group, Citizens for Decency through Law; and a report from the Los Angeles County Commission.

LP457:659-673

Series 5 Senate Select Committee on Mediation Files 1988-1996

Physical Description: 15 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Scope and Content Note

During his tenure as Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Mediation, Russell compiled records related to several aspects of legal mediation. This series includes reports, conference programs, pamphlets, bulletins, newsletters, hearing files, court transcripts, memoranda, correspondence, and committee resolutions. Folder titles include: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Ephemera, Hearing Files, Legal Background, and Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution Reports.

LP457:674-692

Series 6 Subject Files 1971-1991

Physical Description: 19 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Scope and Content Note

Subject Files are comprised of correspondence, news clippings, notes, memoranda, resolutions, reports, statements, speech transcripts, bill texts, legislative summaries, and state statutes. Subjects include: the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve, bilingual education, child abuse, comparable worth, grandparents' rights, Project SEED (Special Elementary Education for the Disadvantaged), issues relating to schools in the 62nd Assembly District, state mandates, and oil severance tax and depletion allowances.

LP457:693-708

Series 7 Antelope Valley Files 1983-1992

Physical Description: 16 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged into two sub series: (1)50th District Agricultural Association Correspondence and (2) Subject Files.

Scope and Content Note

Representing his constituents in Antelope Valley, Russell compiled records related to various topics concerning that region.

LP457:693-698

Subseries 1 50th Agricultural Association Correspondence 1983-1986, 1990-1992

Physical Description: 6 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date.

Scope and Content

The first portion of the series, 50th District Agricultural Association Correspondence, includes records related to board appointments and the Antelope Valley Fair.

LP457:699-708

Subseries 2 Subject Files 1986-1992

Physical Description: 10 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Scope and Content

The series' second portion, Subject Files, includes press releases, correspondence, reports, news clippings, resolutions, activity reports, notes, newsletters, statements, project proposals, memoranda, meeting notes, hearing testimonies, feasibility studies, hearing presentations, irrigation district applications, reconnaissance studies, meeting minutes, court transcripts, and bill texts. Topics include the California-Nevada Super Speed Transportation Commission, Clyde Bailey's activity reports, Highway 138, Little Rock Dam, prison water issues, University of California campus sites, and Volital rocket fuel.

LP457:709-710

Series 8 Newsletters 1965-1966

Physical Description: 2 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by release date.

Scope and Content Note

As a legislator, Russell sent his Southern California constituents regular newsletters in order to keep them abreast of developments in Sacramento. These newsletters also included a questionnaire section for district members to offer feedback to their representative. Spanning the years 1965 through 1966, and 1974 through 1987, this series documents the legislator's interactions with the public at those times. Some subjects include pornography regulations, energy crises, collective bargaining for public employees, welfare reform, medical malpractice insurance, shoplifting, property tax, Proposition 13, state mandated programs, bilingual education, public employee pensions, education, and child abuse.

LP457:711

Series 9 Press Clippings 1993-1995

Physical Description: 1 file folder

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by publication date.

Scope and Content Note

While in office, Russell collected newspaper clippings related to various topics of interest from several publications throughout the state. This series only spans the later years of his career, 1993 through 1995. Some subjects include environmentalism, child custody laws, rape penalties, immigration enforcement, Medi-Cal restrictions, pension reform, sexual harassment, ritualistic child abuse, and the Republican Party in Southern California.

LP457:712-727

Series 10 Press Releases 1974-1995

Physical Description: 16 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by release date.

Scope and Content Note

Press Releases were issued by Russell over the course of his career as a State Senator. The subjects covered include introduced legislation, Republican Party news, and issues relevant to his district.

LP457:728-809

Series 11 AIDS Subject Files 1983-1988

Physical Description: 82 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Scope and Content Note

Like many public officials in the 1980s, Russell was concerned by the rise and spread of the AIDS virus throughout the state, the country, and the world. The author of several AIDS-related bills, Russell amassed a substantial collection of research materials, much of which were originally collected and later given to his office by former Republican State Senators H. L. Richardson and John Doolittle. This series is comprised of pamphlets, statements, correspondence, bill summaries, newsletters, press clippings, press releases, speech transcripts, bill texts, memoranda, notes, amendments, resolutions, hearing testimonies, reports, issues of the Center for Disease Control's weekly publication, The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, articles from the Journal of the American Medical Association, news summaries, statistics charts, and policy statements.

Some subjects include AB1 (1983-1984), AB87 and AB3255 (1987-1988), blood contamination, casual contact with the virus, condoms and other safe-sex measures, confidentiality of victims, education, the AIDS epidemic in foreign countries, heterosexual transmission of the virus, homosexuals and AIDS, hospitals and hospice workers, insurance coverage for AIDS victims, intravenous drug use, law enforcement and emergency workers exposure to the disease, legislation, major policy statements and background, AIDS and the military, infection among ethnic minorities, other diseases and AIDS, conservative activist Paul Gann's contraction of the virus, other prominent infected persons, politics surrounding AIDS, pregnant mothers infected with the virus, AIDS among prisoners, Proposition 102 (1987-1988), public opinion, testing, and treatment of the disease.

LP457:810-815

Series 12 Rose Bird Recall Files 1982-1986

Physical Description: 6 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged per the order established by the records creator.

Scope and Content Note

Rose Bird Recall Files document former Senator H. L. Richardson's efforts to unseat California State Supreme Court Chief Justice Rose Bird in the mid-1980s. Accessioned with much of the AIDS Subject Files, this series was most likely created by Richardson and transferred to Russell along with files related to the AIDS virus. This series includes press clippings, correspondence, campaign plans, journal articles, news releases, polls, court transcripts, pamphlets, speech outlines and transcripts, prosecutors' white papers, committee transcripts, and newsletters.

Series Description

Bill Files

Pastor-Prayer Subject Files

Speech Subject Files

Pornography Research Files

Senate Select Committee on Mediation Files

Subject Files

Antelope Valley Files

50th Agricultural Association Correspondence

Subject Files

Newsletters

Press Clippings

Press Releases

AIDS Subject Files

Rose Bird Recall Files