Guide to the Norman S. (Norm) Waters Papers

Processed by Tyler Cline

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/

Guide to the Norman S. (Norm) Waters Papers

Collection number: LP419

California State Archives

Office of the Secretary of State

Sacramento, California

Processed by:: Tyler Cline
Date Completed:: January 2010
Encoded by:: Cori Schmidtbauer

Descriptive Summary

Title: Norman Waters Papers

Dates: 1976-1990

Collection number: LP419

Creator: Norman Waters, California Legislator

Collection Size: 13 cubic feet

Repository: California State Archives

Sacramento, California

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.

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], Norman S. Waters Papers, LP419:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Acquisition and Custodial History

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

Biography

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.

State Assembly, 1976-1990

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.

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.

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.

Waters, Norman S.

California. Legislature. Assembly

Amador County Board of Supervisors

LP419:1-199

Series 1 Bill Files 1981-1990

Physical Description: 199 file folders

Arrangement

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

Scope and Content Note

Bill files created by Assembly Member Waters may include bill analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements, testimony, press releases, editorials and newspaper clippings, correspondence, committee statements, and other information.

Common topics for bills introduced include agriculture and ranching, the Lake Tahoe area, and criminal justice, including child sexual abuse. Waters introduced a package of bills aimed at curbing and prosecuting child abuse during the 1985-1986 legislative session, including AB1980, AB1981, AB1985, AB1986, AB1999, AB2006, AB2014, AB2318, AB2319. This package added additional sentencing guidelines for lewd behavior with minors or for possession, distribution, or advertising of child pornography. AB2459 of 1985-1986 modified the Department of Health Services statutes for child sexual assault victims.

1981-1982 AB3652 (1ff) LP419:1

1983-1984 AB131-AB4044 (28ff) LP419:2-29

1985-1986 AB268-AB4325; ACR8-ACR112; AJR19-AJR92; HR35 (57ff) LP419:30-86

1987-1988 AB74-AB4481; ACR41-ACR141; AJR2-AJR79 (54ff) LP419:87-140

1989-1990 AB36-AB4358; ACR36-ACR109; AJR31-AJR97; HR9-HR12 (59ff) LP419:141-199

LP419:200-274

Series 2 Subject Files 1978-1990

Physical Description: 75 file folders

Arrangement

Subject Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.

Scope and Content Note

Subject files created by Norm Waters may include newspaper articles, photographs, press releases, brochures, and pamphlets. Topics include drug abuse and dependency, the budget crisis of 1990, Waters' campaigns for re-election in 1980 and 1990, and district issues including the Central Sierra Economic Development District and the South Sacramento area including pamphlets and design proposals for the Meadowview Community Center.

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

LP419:275-297

Series 3 Subject Correspondence 1989-1990

Physical Description: 23 file folders

Arrangement

Subject Correspondence are arranged alphabetically by subject.

Scope and Content Note

Subject Correspondence includes correspondences by Waters and members of his staff regarding subjects including abortion, the budget crisis of 1990, employment discrimination, education, Medicare and Medi-Cal, mobile homes, and taxes. The series includes personal letters and form letters sent from Waters' office by the assemblyman or members of his staff, either on his behalf or in their own capacity. The series also includes letters, mailers, and other material received by the assembly member.

For a complete list of correspondence by subject, see Appendix B at the California State Archives.

LP419:298-326

Series 4 Organizational Correspondence 1989-1990

Physical Description: 29 file folders

Arrangement

Organizational Correspondence are arranged alphabetically by organization.

Scope and Content Note

This series includes correspondences sent and received by the assemblyman and his staff with organizations, primarily in the South Sacramento area. The files include letters, newspaper articles, photographs, photonegatives, and audiotapes.

Organizations include the Black American Political Association of California (BAPAC), Blacks in Agriculture (BIA), Black Community Organizations on the Move, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Meadowview Neighborhood League, the Sacramento Job Corps, and the South Sacramento Neighborhood Coalition. A majority of correspondence dealt with minority issues within the district, including minority education, as evidenced in Waters' correspondence with St. HOPE Academy and Luther Burbank Senior High School.

For a complete list of organizations, see Appendix C at the California State Archives.