Norman Waters Papers, 1976-1990

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Summary

Creators:
Norman Waters, California Legislator
Abstract:
Norman S. Waters, Democrat, was a State Assembly Member from 1976 to 1990. The Norm Waters Papers consists of 13 cubic feet of textual records and spans the years 1978-1990. The collection is organized into the following series: Bill Files, 1981-1990; Subject Files, 1978-1990; Subject Correspondence, 1989-1990; and Organizational Correspondence, 1989-1990.
Extent:
13 cubic feet
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English

Background

Scope and content:

The Norm Waters Papers consists of 13 cubic feet of textual records and spans the years 1978-1990. The collection is organized into the following series: Bill Files, 1981-1990; Subject Files, 1978-1990; Subject Correspondence, 1989-1990; and Organizational Correspondence, 1989-1990.

The Bill Files document his legislative activity during his term as a member of the California State Legislature. The bills introduced by Waters include a wide array of subjects, although he was especially interested in issues surrounding the Lake Tahoe area (AB914 of 1983-1984, AB2554 of 1985-1986), agriculture and ranching (AB947 and AB1833 of 1985-1986), and criminal justice (AB915, AB1988, AB2006, and AB2319 of 1987-1988).

Of particular interest are the bills he authored concerning child abuse (AB1980, AB1981, AB1985, AB1986, AB1999) in the 1985-1986 legislative session, as well as a bill restructuring sentencing guidelines for marijuana use (AB436) and a joint resolution memorializing the U.S. Congress to criminalize flag burning (AJR 97) during the 1989-1990 legislative session.

The subject files contain information on abortion, the Auburn Dam project, Waters' campaigns for the 7th district seat in 1980 and 1990, CalTrans, and the 1990 budget crisis.

The correspondence files are organized into two series: correspondence by subject for 1989-1990, and correspondence by organization for 1989-1990. The correspondence files contain information on agriculture, child abuse, employment discrimination, the Department of Motor Vehicles, taxes, flag burning, mobile homes, and transportation. Some organizations with which the assemblyman corresponded were the Black American Political Association of California, Blacks in Agriculture, Luther Burbank Senior High School, the Meadowview Neighborhood League, St. Hope Academy, and the South Sacramento Neighborhood Coalition.

Biographical / historical:

Norman S. Waters, Democrat, was a State Assembly Member from 1976 to 1990. His 7th Assembly District included South Sacramento, Colfax, Amador, Ione, Jackson, Plymouth, Sutter Creek, Angels Camp, Placerville, South Lake Tahoe, Folsom, and Sonora in Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mono, and Tuolumne Counties.

Waters was born on July 1, 1925, in Plymouth, California. He attended the University of California Extension and Missouri State Teachers College receiving a degree in agriculture. During World War II he served in the Army Air Corps. In 1946 he became a cattle rancher, and beginning in 1967 he served on the Amador County Board of Supervisors for eight years, including a term as chairman. He married Dona Louise Geis on September 27, 1975, and had five children.

Waters was a member of the Amador County Farm Bureau, the Sacramento-El Dorado-Amador County Cattleman's Association, and a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason at the Ben Ali shrine. Before his term as Assemblyman, he was a member of the Amador Planning Commission, the Amador County Resource Conservation District, president of the Mountain Counties Water Resources Association, Master of the Shenandoah Willow Springs Grange, and vice-chairman of the Central Sierra Planning Council.

Waters was elected to the State Assembly in 1976, winning his race against Republican Dan Parises by a margin of over 10%, or 11,696 votes. Waters had made an unsuccessful primary challenge for the seat in 1974 against John Garamendi.

During his term in the Legislature, Waters was a member of the following committees.

  • Standing Committees
  • Aging and Long Term Care, 1981-1984
  • Agriculture, 1977-1990 (Chair, 1983-1990)
  • Chair, 1983-1990
  • Governmental Organization, 1987-1990
  • Horse Racing, 1982 (Chair, 1982)
  • Chair, 1982
  • Housing and Community Development, 1989-1990
  • Local Government, 1977-1980 (Vice Chair, 1977-1978)
  • Vice Chair, 1977-1978
  • Natural Resources, 1983-1984
  • Public Employees and Retirement, 1976-1977
  • Veterans Affairs, 1987
  • Water, Parks, and Wildlife, 1981-1990 (Chair, 1981-1982)
  • Chair, 1981-1982
  • Ways and Means, 1979-1980
  • Wildlife Conservation Board, 1982-1990
  • Select Committees
  • Select Committee on Aviation (Chair, 1983-1984)
  • Chair, 1983-1984
  • Select Committee on Child Care and Child Abuse, 1987-1990 (Chair, 1987-1990)
  • Chair, 1987-1990
  • Select Committee on Economic Problems in Timber and Related Industries, 1983-1984 (Chair, 1983-1984)
  • Chair, 1983-1984
  • Select Committee on Timber, 1982
  • Select Committee on Utility Performance, Rates and Regulations, 1983-1984
  • Subcommittees
  • Subcommittee on Fairs and Expositions, 1987-1990 (Chair, 1987-1990)
  • Chair, 1987-1990
  • Subcommittee on Fairs with Horse Racing, 1981-1982 (Chair, 1981-1982)
  • Chair, 1981-1982
  • Subcommittee on Milk Pooling and Pricing, 1978

In addition, as a member of the Legislature, he served as a member of the Joint Committee on Fairs Allocation and Classification, 1977-1984; the Western States Task Force, 1978-1990; the Western Conference of Council of State Governments, 1983-1984; and the Assembly Rural Caucus, 1987-1990.

Acquisition information:
The California State Archives acquired the Norman Waters Papers following his final term in the State Legislature.
Accruals:

No further accruals are expected.

Physical location:
California State Archives
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Access and use

Location of this collection:
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814, US
Contact:
(916) 653-2246
reference@sos.ca.gov
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