Elihu Harris Papers
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt9g5029rh No online items Inventory of the Elihu Harris Papers Processed by Justin Salenik California State Archives 1020 "O" Street Sacramento, California 95814 Phone: (916) 653-2246 Fax: (916) 653-7363 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/ © 2007 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved. Inventory of the Elihu Harris LP366 1 Papers Inventory of the Elihu Harris Papers Collection number: LP366 California State Archives Office of the Secretary of State Sacramento, California Processed by: Justin Salenik Date Completed: June 2007 Encoded by: Sara Roberson © 2007 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved. Descriptive Summary Title: Elihu Harris Papers Dates: 1979-1990 Collection number: LP366 Creator: Elihu Harris, California Legislator Collection Size: 19 cubic feet Repository: California State Archives Sacramento, California Abstract: The Elihu Harris Papers consist of 19 cubic feet of records reflecting Harris's activities during his Assembly career. The collection contains Bill Files, 1979-1990; Subject Files, 1979-1990; Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) Files, 1988-1990; Photographs, 1979-1990; Audiovisual Materials, 1979-1990; and Artifacts, 1979-1990. Physical location: California State Archives Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English 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], Elihu Harris Papers, LP366:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California. Acquisition and Custodial History The California State Archives acquired the Elihu Harris Papers following his final term in the State Legislature. Biography Elihu Harris, Democrat, was a California State Assembly Member from 1979-1990, representing the 13th Assembly District. The 13th Assembly District included parts of the cities of Berkeley and Oakland and the entire cities of Alameda and Emeryville. Elihu Harris was born on August 15, 1947 in Los Angeles, California. He attended public schools in Berkeley, California after moving there at an early age. After graduating from Berkeley High School in 1965, he attended California State University, Hayward. He served as student body vice president and received a B.A. with honors in political science. Harris went on to receive a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1969, and a Juris Doctorate from University of California, Davis, in 1972. Inventory of the Elihu Harris LP366 2 Papers His first job in politics was as an administrative assistant to California Assembly Member John L. Miller. He would move on to serve as a legislative assistant for Congresswoman Yvonne Brathwaite Burke. In 1975, he was appointed Executive Director of the National Bar Association in Washington, D.C. Two years later, he left Washington for a private law practice in California. In 1978, Harris was elected to the Assembly to represent the 13th District. He married Kathy Neal in 1983. Harris is associated with several organizations like the NAACP, California Association of Black Lawyers, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Charles Houston Bar Association, and Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church. He also served as a board member for the Alameda Boys Club and Family Services of Berkeley and as Chairman of the Black American Political Association of California. As an Assembly Member, Harris's interests were civil rights, criminal justice, poverty, tax reform and transportation. Serving as Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee from 1980-1988 allowed him to play a key role in the rules and regulation of the criminal justice system. His legislation created the Martin Luther King Jr. state holiday. Harris left the Assembly in 1990 and was elected Mayor of Oakland that same year. According to the California Legislature at Sacramento (Handbooks) and the California Blue Book, Harris served on the following committees: Standing and Interim Committees Constitutional Amendments, 1979-1980 Criminal Justice, 1979-1984 Earthquake Preparedness and Natural Disasters, 1989-1990 Economic Development and Planning, 1981-1982 Economic Development and New Technologies, 1983-1986 Finance and Insurance, 1983-1984 Governmental Organization, 1985-1988 Health, 1989-1990 Judiciary, 1981-1990 *Chair, 1981-1988 Labor and Employment, 1979-1982 Public Investments, Finance and Bonded Indebtedness, 1985-1986 Revenue and Taxation, 1987-1988 Transportation, 1979- 1982, 1985-1990 *Vice Chair, 1979-1980 Utilities and Commerce, 1987-1988 Ways and Means, 1989-1990 Subcommittees Subcommittee #2- Education, 1989-1990 Subcommittee on Administration of Justice, 1985-1988 Subcommittee on Air Quality, 1979-1980 Subcommittee on Arts and Athletics, 1987-1988 Subcommittee on County Justice System Subvention Program, 1979-1980 Subcommittee on International Trade, Investment and Tourism, 1985-1986 Subcommittee on Investment Practices, 1987-1988 Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice, 1981-1982 Subcommittee on Organized Crime and Gang Violence, 1987-1990 Subcommittee on Sports and Entertainment, 1985-1986 Subcommittee on Toll Bridges, 1987-1988 Subcommittee on Toxic Substances, 1979-1980 Subcommittee on Worker's Compensation, 1983-1984 Select Committees (General Research Committees) Select Committee on Ethics, 1989-1990 Select Committee on Fair Employment Practices Inventory of the Elihu Harris LP366 3 Papers *Chair, 1979-1982 Select Committee on Insurance, 1985-1986 Select Committee on Judicial Efficiency and Improvement *Chair, 1983-1984 Select Committee on Oversight of the Office of Administrative Law, 1983-1984 Select Committee on Refugee Resettlement, International Migration and Cooperative Development, 1989-1990 Select Committee on Revision of the Penal Code, 1981-1988 Select Committee on Small Business, 1981-1982 Select Committee on Tort Liability, 1989-1990 Select Committee on Youth and Drug Abuse Prevention, 1989-1990 Joint Committees Joint Legislative Audit Committee *Chair, 1989-1990 Joint Study Committee on Worker's Compensation, 1983-1984 Additional Committees Legislative Task Force on AIDS Vaccine Injury Compensation Review, 1989-1990 California Law Revision Commission, 1987-1990 Commission on Uniform State Laws, 1981-1990 Judicial Council, 1981-1988 Public Procurement Advisory Committee, 1983-1986 Special Legislative Investigating Committee on the State Bar, 1981-1982 Scope and Content The Elihu Harris Papers consist of 19 cubic feet of records reflecting Harris's activities during his Assembly career. The collection contains Bill Files, 1979-1990; Subject Files, 1979-1990; Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) Files, 1988-1990; Photographs, 1979-1990; Audiovisual Materials, 1979-1990; and Artifacts, 1979-1990. The bill files document Harris's legislative activity during his term as a member of the California State Legislature. While the bills introduced by Elihu Harris include a wide array of subjects, his primary concerns included criminal justice, tax reform, civil rights and gun control. The subject files provide further detail on Harris's work regarding civil rights, the war on drugs, poverty, and the justice system. The Joint Legislative Audit Committee Files provide a look at the activities of the JLAC that Harris chaired from 1989-1990. Indexing Terms The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog. Harris, Elihu M. Discrimination Law and legislation Gun control Inventory of the Elihu Harris LP366 4 Papers Series 1Bill Files 1979-1990 File folders: Series 1 Bill Files 1979-1990 LP366:1-299 Physical Description: 299 file folders Arrangement Bill files are arranged chronologically by legislative session and then numerically by bill number. Scope and Content Note Bill files were created by Elihu Harris while he served as Assembly Member, 1979-1990. The files may include bill analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements, testimony, press releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and committee statements. 1979-1980: AB823-AB3427, ACR49-ACR137 (29ff) LP366: 1-29 1981-1982: AB94-AB3807 (41ff) LP366: 30-70 1983-1984: AB6 (preprint)-AB3981, ACR17-ACR172, AJR98-AJR109, HR32-HR36, AB3X (39ff) LP366: 71-119 1985-1986: AB101-AB4299, ACR27-ACR162, AJR21-AJR22 (58ff) LP366: 120-177 1987-1988: AB33-AB4463, ACA3, ACA43, ACR2-ACR77 (78ff) LP366: 178-255 1989-1990: AB39-AB4293, ACR129 (44ff) LP366: 256-299 File folders: Series 2 Subject Files 1979-1990 LP366:300-363 Physical Description: 63 file folders Arrangement Subject Files are arranged alphabetically by subject heading. Scope and Content Note Subject files may contain newspaper clippings, press releases, correspondence, reports, notes, memorandums, and other materials. The subject files relate to information gathered by Harris throughout his political career and demonstrate his interest in civil rights, criminal justice, and the war on drugs. A complete list of subject headings can be found in Appendix A of the master finding aid at the California State Archives. File folders: Series