Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee Records, 1971-2000

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Summary

Title:
Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee Records
Dates:
1971-2000
Creators:
Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee
Abstract:
The Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee Records consist of 27 cubic feet and span the years 1971-2000. The records reflect the work of the committee in reviewing legislation pertaining to state and local non-school public employees and public employee retirement. They are comprised of bill files, hearing files, and notices, rolls, and logs.
Extent:
27 cubic feet
Language:
Languages represented in the collection: English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee Records, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee Records consist of 27 cubic feet. The records cover the years 1971-2000. They are comprised of bill files, hearing files, and notices, rolls, and logs. It is anticipated that the Archives will receive further records from the Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee, as it remains a functional standing committee in the California State Senate. Researchers might inquire about recently received, unprocessed records of the committee.

The majority of records consist of bill files that cover the years 1971-2000. Committee hearing files span from 1975-1992 and comprise two cubic feet of the collection. Furthermore, there are files from the years 1973-1992 that contain notices, rolls, and logs.

The Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee reviewed many bills that drew public interest since the population of current and retired government employees in California had a vested interest in the legislation. The correspondence in support and opposition for bills proved especially fervent in cases involving financial benefits. However, individuals were not the only followers of the committee's agenda. Several state bargaining units and organizations kept a close watch on the committee's actions as the bills they addressed held bearing on the lives of their constituencies. These bargaining units and organizations included, but were not limited to, the State Teachers' Retirement System, Public Employees' Retirement System, California State Firefighters Association, and Peace Officer's Research Association.

The California State Archives received the records of the Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee over a number of years and archives staff arranged them at various times. While the physical arrangement of the records reflects this variety, this inventory describes all of the records according to present archival descriptive standards for legislative committee records. Therefore, the physical arrangement of these records does not necessarily follow the order listed in this inventory.

Biographical / historical:

The Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee was created by Senate Resolution 107 (1974). Prior to 1974, all matters pertaining to the subject of public employees and retirement were seen by the standing committee on Governmental Organization. The purpose of the newly created committee on Public Employment and Retirement was to oversee "all bills relating to state and local non-school public employees and public employee retirement." Most frequently these bills pertained to the structuring of retirement and disability benefits for retired state teachers, judges, law enforcement officers, and emergency personnel. Issues such as health benefits, vacation time, and sick leave credits for existing state employees were also addressed. The first day of existence for the Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee was June 13, 1974, the day the new Senate Rules were read and adopted.

The Committee on Senate Public Employment and Retirement remains a functional standing committee in the California State Senate and continues to oversee legislation pertaining to public employees and retirement. It is composed of five members. The first chair was James Wedworth (1975-1976) subsequently followed by Newton Russell (1977-1982), Wadie Deddeh (1983-1984), Dan McCorquodale (1985-1986), Cecil Green (1987-1993), Teresa Hughes (1994-1996), Adman Schiff (1997-1998), Deborah Ortiz (1999-2000), and Nell Soto (2000-2006).

Acquisition information:
The California State Archives acquired the Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee records according to state law.
Arrangement:

The Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee records are arranged into three series: bill files, hearing files, and notices, rolls, and logs files.

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

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Kelly M. Kell
Date Prepared:
© 2006
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid created by Jessica Herrick. Machine-readable finding aid derived from MS Word. Date of source: December 5, 2006.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

For permission to reproduce or publish, please consult California State Archives staff. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement that may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives' collections.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee Records, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

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