Inventory of the Cathie Wright Papers

Processed by Rebecca L. Wendt.
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/
© 2004
California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.

Inventory of the Cathie Wright Papers

Collection number: LP339



California State Archives

Office of the Secretary of State

Sacramento, California

Contact Information:

  • 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/
Processed by: Rebecca L. Wendt
Date Completed: July 2004
Encoded by: Rebecca L. Wendt
© 2004 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Cathie Wright papers,
Date (inclusive): 1981-2000
Collection number: LP339
Creator: Wright, Cathie
Extent: 25 cubic feet
Repository: California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Abstract: Cathie Wright, Republican, was a California State Assembly Member, 1980-1991 and a California State Senator, 1992-2000. She represented cities within Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in the 37th Assembly District and 19th Senate District. The Cathie Wright Papers consist of 26 cubic feet of records reflecting Wright's activities during her time as both an Assembly Member and a Senator. The records document Wright's legislative work and contain Assembly and Senate bill files, 1981-2000; chronological correspondence files, 1981-1998; subject files, 1981-1998; and committee files, 1985-1986.
Physical location: California State Archives
Language: English.

Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for research.

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], Cathie Wright papers, LP339, California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Acquisition Information

The deed of gift for the Cathie Wright Papers was received by the California State Archives in 2002.

Biographical Note

Cathie Wright, Republican, was a State Assembly Member, 1980-1991 and a State Senator, 1992-2000. She represented cities within Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in the 37th Assembly District and 19th Senate District.
Wright, neé Marianelli, was born in Old Forge, Pennsylvania on May 18, 1929. She attended Lackawanna Junior College in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1961 she moved to California and in 1963 married Victor O. Wright who died in 1982. They had one daughter, Victoria. Prior to her legislative career, Wright held jobs in accounting and well as in the insurance and cable industries.
Wright was elected to the Legislature after serving on the City of Simi Valley city council and then as mayor of the city. During her time in the Legislature, she ran an unsuccessful campaign against Gray Davis for the post of lieutenant governor in 1994. According to the California Legislature at Sacramento (Handbooks) and Capitol Enquiry's Pocket Directory of the California Legislature, Wright served on the following legislative committees:

California State Assembly, 1981-1992

  • Standing Committees
  • Aging and Long Term Care, 1983-1984
  • Agriculture, 1983-1984; 1986
  • Banking, Finance and Bonded Indebtedness, 1991-1992
  • Constitutional Amendments, 1982
  • Consumer Protection and Toxic Materials, 1981-1982
  • Criminal Justice, 1981-1982
  • * Vice Chair, 1981-1982
  • Economic Development and Planning, 1981-1982
  • Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, 1985-1992
  • Finance and Insurance, 1983-1990
  • Intergovernmental Relations, 1985-1986
  • * Chair, 1985-1986
  • International Trade and Intergovernmental Relations, 1987-1988
  • Local Government, 1981-1982
  • Rules, 1987, 1989-1990
  • Utilities and Commerce, 1983-1992
  • * Vice Chair, 1987-1989
  • Ways and Means, 1989-1992
  • * Vice Chair, 1991-1992
  • Select Committees
  • Veterans Affairs, 1982
  • Joint Committees
  • International Trade, 1990
  • 1992 California Quincentennial of the Voyages of Christopher Columbus, 1990
  • Organized Crime and Gang Violence, 1990
  • Rules, 1988, 1990

California State Senate, 1993-2000

  • Standing Committees
  • Agriculture and Water Resources, 1995-2000
  • Budget and Fiscal Review, 1993-2000
  • * Vice Chair, 1995-1998
  • Constitutional Amendments, 1999-2000
  • * Chair, 1999-2000
  • Education, 1993-1994
  • Environmental Quality, 1997-2000
  • * Vice Chair, 1997-1998
  • Health and Human Services, 1993-1994
  • Judiciary, 1993-2000
  • Legislative Ethics, 1996-1998
  • Public Employment and Retirement, 1993-1994
  • * Vice Chair, 1993-1994
  • Toxics and Public Safety Management, 1993-1996
  • * Vice Chair, 1993-1996
  • Subcommittees
  • Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee 1 - Education, 1998
  • Judiciary - Administration of Justice, 1998
  • Joint Committees
  • Legislative Budget, 1999-2000
  • Select Committees
  • Alameda Corridor, 1998
  • Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health, 1998
  • Economic Development, 1998
  • Entertainment Industry, 1998
  • Northridge Earthquake, 1999-2000
  • School Safety, 1998
  • Southern California Water Districts' Expenditures and Governance, 1998
  • Women in the Workforce, 1998-2000
  • Special Committees
  • Welfare Reform, 1998
  • Joint Committees
  • Legislative Budget, 1998
Senator Wright was termed out of office in 2000.

Scope and Contents Note

The Cathie Wright Papers consist of 26 cubic feet of records reflecting Wright's activities during her time as both an Assembly Member and a Senator. The records contain Assembly and Senate bill files, 1981-2000; chronological correspondence files, 1981-1998; subject files, 1981-1998; and committee files, 1985-1986.
The bill files in the collection document Wright's interests in local government and in writing legislation to answer the needs raised by her constituents. These files, together with the proposed legislation files, illustrate the foundations of the legislative process. The correspondence shows Wright's position on issues and her interest in hearing from her constituents. Subject files include background information for her legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee files, though not voluminous, include some bill files and hearing information from Wright's time as Committee Chair.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been associated with these materials in the Archives' automated public access system (currently in development, July 2004).

Subjects

Wright, Cathie


LP339 1-278

Series 1.  Bill Files, 1981-2000

Physical Description: 15.75 cubic feet

Arrangement

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

Series Description

Bill files created by Cathie Wright may include bill analyses, statements, amendments, correspondence, press releases, newspaper clippings, and background information. Of particular interest to researchers are those bills pertaining to local government issues. Included in the series are summaries of Wright's legislation for each session.
1981-1982 AB500-AB3635, ACA33, ACR42 (13ff) LP339:1-13
1983-1984 AB154-AB4019, ACA4-ACA34, ACR20 (21ff) LP339:14-34
1985-1986 AB17-AB4388, ACA13, ACR125-ACR129, AJR79 (38ff) LP339:35-72
1987-1988 AB66-AB4596 (45ff) LP339:73-117
1989-1990 AB23-AB4214, ACA55 (34ff) LP339:118-151
1991-1992 AB236-AB3574 (28ff) LP339:152-179
1993-1994 SB27-SB2117, SCA26, SJR28 (34ff) LP339:180-213
1995-1996 SB260-SB2029 (30ff) LP339:214-243
1997-1998 SB529-SB2194 (15ff) LP339:244-258
1999-2000 SB247-SB1984 (19ff) LP339:259-277
Legislative summaries, 1981-2000 (1ff) LP339:278
LP339 279-376

Series 2.  Chronological Files, 1981-1998

Physical Description: 4.75 cubic feet

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by month of letter.

Series Description

Chron files are made up of outgoing correspondence generated by Cathie Wright and her staff. They were sent to constituents and colleagues and frequently show Wright's position on legislative issues. Files from 1984, 1988, and most of 1993 were not sent to the Archives.
LP339 365-454

Series 3.  Subject Files, 1981-1998

Physical Description: 5.5 cubic feet

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject heading.

Series Description

Subject files include background information that was used by Cathie Wright in authoring legislation. Subject headings are those created and used by her office. A complete list of subjects is included as Appendix A of the printed finding aid available at the California State Archives.
LP339 455-468

Series 4.  Assembly Intergovernmental Relations Committee Files, 1985-1986

Physical Description: 0.25 cubic feet

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically within each subseries.

Series Description

Cathie Wright was briefly Chair of the Assembly Intergovernmental Relations Committee and she kept some of the files when she left the position. This series includes bill files, hearing files, and correspondence of the committee.