California State Archives State Government Oral History Program Oral History Interview with LEO T. McCARTHY California Assemblyman, 1968-1982 California Lieutenant Governor, 1983-1995 December 18, 1995 February 1, 15, and 22, 1996 March 7 and 27, 1996 April 11, 1996 August 7, 25, and 28, 1996 San Francisco, California By Carole Hicke Regional Oral History Office University of California, Berkeley RESTRICTIONS ON THIS INTERVIEW None. LITERARY RIGHTS AND QUOTATIONS This manuscript is hereby made available for research purposes only. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without written permission of the California State Archivist or Regional Oral History Office, University of California at Berkeley. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to: California State Archives 10200 Street, Room 130 Sacramento, California 95814 or Regional Oral History Office 486 Library University of California Berkeley, California 94720 The request should include information of the specific passages and identification of the user. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Leo T. McCarthy, Oral History Interview, Conducted 1995 and 1996 by Carole Hicke, Regional Oral History Office, University of California at Berkeley, for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program. INTERVIEW HISTORY InterviewerlEditor Carole Hicke Director, University of California at Berkeley State Archives State Government Oral History Program Director, Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro History Project Director, Morrison & Foerster History Project M.A. San Francisco State University (history) B.A. University of Iowa (economics) Interview Time and Place December 18, 1995 Session of one hour February 1, 1996 Session of one and a half hours February 15, 1996 Session of one hour February 22, 1996 Session of one hour March 7, 1996 Session of one and a half hours March 27, 1996 Session of one and a half hours April 11, 1996 Session of one and a half hours 11 August 7, 1996 Session of one and a half hours August 25, 1996 Session of one hour August 28, 1996 Session of two hours All sessions took place in San Francisco, California. Editing The interviewer/editor checked the verbatim manuscript of the interview against the original tape recordings; edited for punctuation, paragraphing, and spelling; verified proper names and prepared footnotes. Insertions by the editor are bracketed. Mr. McCarthy edited just the first six sessions of the transcript, clarifying and making minor corrections. Mr. McCarthy is preparing to deposit his papers in the California State Archives. Tapes and Interview Records The original tape recordings of the interviews are in The Bancroft Library, University of California at Berkeley. Records relating to the interview are at the Regional Oral History Office. Master tapes are deposited in the California State Archives. Leo McCarthy: TABLE OF CONTENTS SESSION 1, December 18, 1995 [Tape 1, Side A] 1 Family background--Childhood--Schooling--Early jobs--Emphasis on education and sports-­ Seminary, St. Ignatius High School, Santa Clara University, Woodbury College--U.S. Air Force, 1951-1952. [Tape 1, Side B] 11 Military service in Saudi Arabia, 1952--B.A., University of San Francisco--Political sense of Irish Americans--San Francisco Law School--Campaigning for Democrats, 1950s--Administrative assistant for Eugene McAteer--San Francisco base of support--Broadening coverage of California state textbooks. SESSION 2, February 1, 1996 [Tape 2, Side A] 19 More on Eugene McAteer--Campaign for San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 1963--Creation of Human Rights Commission--Mayor's advisory committee on issues of the elderly--Building planning--Revolution against freeways, 1966. [Tape 2, Side B] 28 More on freeways--Civil rights mo~rement--Redevelopment Agency of San Francisco, Western Addition--Haight-Ashbury district in the Sixties--San Francisco State and S.l. Hayakawa--Phillip Burton and Democratic party politics--Republican presence in San Francisco. [Tape 3, Side A] 36 Joe Alioto as mayor--California Commission on Aging, 1962--Issues related to nursing homes. SESSION 3, February 15, 1996 [Tape 4, Side A] 41 Campaign for assembly, 1968--Constitutional amendment re: votes on taxation measures--Labor Committee--Minimum wage bill--Planning and Land Use Committee--Legislation on subdivisions, 1971. [Tape 4, Side B] 49 Environmental issues in development, including CA-Nevada Lake Tahoe--Reapportionment, 1971-­ Nursing home abuse legislation--Impact of the media on legislation. SESSION 4, February 22, 1996 [Tape 5, Side A] 56 Necessary research for alegislator--Relationship of constituency and legislator--The buddy system--Speakership campaign,1972-1974. [Tape 5, Side·B] 64 Group of Five and Vote on the Speakership, 1974--Unanimous Democratic caucus vote--Lining up the votes--McCarthy's reforms as speaker. SESSION 5, March 7, 1996 [Tape 6, Side A] 73 Law practice, 1963-1969--Marriage and fami1y--Committee appointments as speaker: Ray Gonzales, Ray Seeley, Alister McAlister, Bob Wilson, John Miller, Leon Ralph, Louis Papan, John Foran, Dan Boatwright, Walter Ingalls, Charlf<s Warren, and environmental legislation. [Tape 6, Side B] 81 More on appointments: Barry Keene, Willie Brown--Reforms in committee structure: membership, bill referral, subcommittees--Assembly Office of Research--Establishment of Office of Administrative Law, 1979. [Tape 7, Side A] 89 Reaction of Jerry Brown's staff to new adminstrative law office--Reluctance of lawmakers to look at historical events--Term limits. SESSION 6, March 27, 1996 [Tape 8, Side A] 94 Governor Ronald Reagan, the Free Speech Movement, taxes--Reagan's move toward the right and the presidency--Governor Jerry Brown--Agricultural Labor Relations Board, 1975--Campaign chairman for Jerry Brown's presidential bid. [Tape 8, Side B] 103 Campaign, continued--Proposition 13, 1978, and Howard Jarvis--Jerry Brown's 1980 presidential campaign--Confrontation over balanced budget proposal--Governor George Deukmejian. [Tape 9, Side A] 112 Pete Wilson as assemblyman, mayor, U.S. Senator, governor--Run for president, 1994-1995-­ Immigration issues--Affirmative action--Leadership as governor. SESSION 7, April 11, 1996 [Tape 10, Side A] 122 Background to Proposition 13, 1978--Legis1ature's reaction: transition legislation and defensive measures--Elimination of business inventory tax--Proposition 4, 1979 (Gann Limit). [Tape 10, Side B] 131 Budget conflict between Republican governors and Democratic legislators--Bipartisan senate-­ Trend toward more conservatism in assembly--Gasoline crises, 1973 and 1979--Renewable energy sources--Oil depletion allowance--Restrictions on oil drilling--Expanding California business ventures while lieutenant governor. [Tape 11, Side A] 140 More on expansion of international trade for California. SESSION 8, August 7, 1996 [Tape 12, Side A] 144 Joint Committee on Aging, 1971, chair: nursing homes, adult day health care centers, property tax relief, phone rates, age discrimination, nutrition programs, Medicaid and Medi-Ca1--Conflict with Jerry Brown over program cuts. [Tape 12, Side B] 154 More on Jerry Brown as governor--Survey on nursing homes, 1984--Feminization of Poverty Task Force--The for-profit nursing home lobby and senior organizations--Breast cancer legislation and education. [Tape 13, Side A] 163 California Asian health issues--Immunization in California--AIDS funding. SESSION 9, August 25, 1996 [Tape 14, Side A] 169 Speakership contest, 1979-1980--Willie Brown as speaker--Lieutenant governor with George Deukmejian, 1983-1995--Feminization of Poverty Task Force, 1983-1984: child care issues. [Tape 14, Side B] 178 More on the task force: domestic violence, child support, access to health care on divorce, response to family violence, latchkey children--Bills of 1985-1986, the "Families and Work Package"--Legislature as an agent of change--Publication of book on small and minority business, 1992. SESSION 10, August 28, 1996 [Tape 15, Side A] 188 Business and Professional Women and other women's groups--Environmental issues: recreational subdivisions, 1971--Coastal Protection Act, 1972--Establishing Assembly Environment Committee­ -California Energy Commission. [Tape 15, Side B] 198 California Energy Commission, continued--Renewable energy sources and Jerry Brown--State Lands Commission: offshore oil drilling--ocean pollution--federal school grant acres--Wine growers joint marketing agreement--Latino business roundtable. [Tape 16, Side A] 207 More on Latino business roundtable--Commission on the Prevention of Hate Violence--U.C. Regent and issue of divestment, 1985-1986. [Tape 16, Side B] 216 U.S. Senate race, 1992--Board membership during retirement. 1 [Session 1, December 18, 1995] [Begin Tape 1, Side A] HICKE: I'd like to just start this morning with a question as to when and where you were born, please? McCARTHY: I was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on August 15, 1930, and I was the youngest of four sons. My parents had been living in New Zealand for approximately twenty-four years. They were both born on small farms in County Kerry, Ireland, and migrated from Ireland to Auckland, New Zealand. RICKE: And do you remember any of that early life? McCARTHY: No, I was three and a half when I left. My three older brothers have some recollections of New Zealand, but I really don't. HICKE: And why did you move? McCARTHY: Economic opportunities. My father was in the hotel and bar business in New Zealand, and I think he was.... Ris partner