Table Of Content

CaliforniaStateArchives StateGovernmentOralHistoryProgram OralHistoryInterview with Bill(WilliamL ) Jones CaliforniaStateAssembly 1982 1994 SecretaryOFState 1994 2002 June 24 25 2003 ByChristopherJ Castaneda DepartmentofHistory CaliforniaStateUniversity Sacramento TABLE OF CONTENTS INTERVIEWfflSTORY i BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY n SESSION 1 June 24 2003 [Tape 1 Side A] 1 Familybackground Coalinga Califorma cattleinWestTexas growingupin Firebaugh California High School years growing up on a farm move to Fresno descnption offarm parents involvement mpolitics to the farm on weekends toFresno StateUmversityforcollege joins AlphaGammaRho (AGR)fratermty descnption of FresnoStatedunng the VietnamWaryears expenences as studentbodypresident meetingwith GovernorRonaldReagan dealingwithstudentgroups graduatedwitha degreemagnbusmess andplant science joined theManne Corps involvementin RichardM Nixoncampaign 1972 first campaign forStateAssemblyin 1976 meeting EdRollins orgamzed youth group forNixon elected chairman ofthecountyRepublican partyin 1975 FresnoasahistoncallyDemocratic area localissuessuchasagnculture and water decision torunfor StateAssemblyin 1976 loses toRich Lehman impressed with Lehman scampaign manager Dalton Moore [Tape 1 SideB] 30 Thinking ahead aboutrunning forpublicoffice developing alarge scalecattle operation decides torun for theAssemblywhen GordonDuffyretires campaign versus Clyde Gould discussion ofcentral valleyissues comparativepolitics preferencefor avoiding Republican pnmanes impressionofSacramento relationship withRonaldReagan chairmanoftheAgncultural Stabilizationand Conservation Service (ASCS) Willie Brown andtheAssembly reapportionment andterm limits WillieBrown spolitical abilities recognized asLegislativeRookie oftheYear discussion ofAssembly fireshman class [Tape 2 Side A] 54 GrayDavis asafreshman legislator fellow Central Valleylegislators 1992budget fight discussion ofthe Big Fivemeetings Governor Peter Wilson David Roberti Ken Maddy WillieBrown andBillJones budgetissues problem ofdefense industry cutbacks andCaliforniasbudget PeterUeberroth sinvolvement morebudgetissues compromise budget passed negotiatingbudgetproposal cnticsofthebudgetdeal importanceofpassingbills thatultimatelyhelpCalifornia SESSION2 June 25 2003 [Tape 3 Side A] 70 Issuesregardingtransportation mtheCentral Valley discussionoftramsystems Pacific Coast horse racing event with Rusty Areias and Willie Brown discussion ofLabor and EmploymentCommitteeandlaborissues safedrinking waterissues Prop65and debates withTomHayden issue ofsmall hydro electncplantsonstreams intheSierra GAIN andwelfare reform discussion ofhowlegislators carrybills distnctbills MinontyLeaderin 1991 1992 budgetproblems reapportionmentof1991 dealings withWillieBrown steppingdown asMinontyLeader difficulties ofthatposition deathofKimberReynolds background toThree Stnkeslaw PollyKlaas case the process ofpassing thebill [Tape3 SideB] 97 ThreeStnkes law book co authorwithMikeReynolds ThreeStnkes and You re Out making thedecisiontorunforSecretaryofStatein1994 campaign campaignstaff Joe Shumate Rob LapsleyandBob Jennings wins election andbecomes first SanJoaquin Valleyresident towinstatewide constitutional office cleaning upthevotingrolls voter purgebill bnngingtechnologyintheSecretaryofState soffice running forre election in1998 winning reelection inacloserace againstMichaelaAlioto Proposition 198 the openprimary promoting 100%participation zerotolerance forfraud developing a civicscumculum appearance atWorldwide Wrestling Federationmatchtopromote voting voteroversightmNicaraguaandthenMexico tradegrouptourstoRussiaand China California sports [Tape 4 Side A] 119 Defending term limits discussion oftheeffectofterm limits ontheStatepolitical system appearanceattheSupremeCourt supportersandopponentsofterm limits more on reapportionment and term limits Live Election Ni^t vote totals development ofpublic pnvatepartnerships training programs cleanng up voterrolls developingthe Archives developingtheGoldenStateMuseum Shakethe State program State GovernmentOralHistoryProgram Gal VoterProgram beingtheonly elected statewideRepublican SecretaryofState asnonpartisanoffice discussion of endorsing JohnMcCainfor2000 Presidentialrace voting technology punch card voting andtheFlondavotecount controversy touchscreentechnology decisionto enterthe CaliforniaGovernor s race discussion ofGovernor s race [Tape 4 SideB] 145 Continuingdiscussion oftheGovernor srace companng the20023budgetcnsiswith thatoftheearly1990s reflections ontheSecretaryofStateposition discussion ofhis ethanolproject family farming business MaureenJones support ofhiscareer family discussion ofthe recall Governor Davis campaign Jones as a candidate for Governor considerationofrunfortheU S Senate balancingfamilyandcareer INTERVIEW HISTORY Interviewer/Editor ChnstopherJames Castaneda ProfessorofHistory CSU Sacramento Director Oral HistoryProgram CSU Sacramento B A RiceUmversity Houston Texas M A UmversityofHouston PhD UmversityofHouston Interview Time and Place June 24 2003 Mr Jones office m Fresno California Sessionoftwo and one halfhours June 25 2003 Mr Jones office in Fresno California Sessionofthreehours Transcnbing/Editing TechmTypeTranscnpts transcnbed theinterviewaudiotapes ChnstopherJ Castanedachecked the verbatimmanuscnpt ofthe interview against the onginal tape recordings edited for punctuation paragraphing and spelling Castanedapreparedthetable ofcontents biographical summary and interview history Castanedaalso madetheediting corrections and prepared the final transcnpt Tape and Interview Records The ongmal tape recordings oftheinterviewaremtheumversity archives atCSU Sacramento on90minute cassettetapes Mastertapes are preserved attheCaliformaState Archives BIOGRAPHICALSLIMMARY William L Bill Jones wasbomonDecember20 1949 inCoalmga California He attended Fresno StateUniversityand graduatedin1971 with aBachelorofScience degree m Agnbusiness and Plant Science AtFresno State heserved asStudentBodyPresident After graduatmg Bill Jones retumedtohis family farm and grew cottonand tomatoes whileraismg cattle Dunng these years he also servedas aDirectorofthe FederalLandBank In1982 BillJoneswaselectedtotheStateAssemblywhereheservedfortwelve years IntheAssembly heintroducednumerous bills Inparticular heauthoredCahfomias ThreeStnkesandYoureOut law Healsointroduced food safetylegislation andheco chairedProposition204 theSafe and Reliable WaterAct While intheAssembly healso served asVice Chairmanofthe AssemblyAgnculture Caucus ChairmanoftheAssembly Rural Caucus and RepublicanLeaderoftheAssembly Hewas asixyearmember ofthe Ways and Means SubcommitteeonStateAdmimstration responsible for thefiscal oversight ofthe office ofSecretaryofState In 1994 Bill JoneswontheelectionforSecretaryofState andhe servedin thisoffice for two terms AsSecretaryofState BillJones sought toachieve 100percent voter participationwithzerotolerance forfraud Heinstituted voteroutreachprograms andcreated aCIVICS cumculum usedbyhighschoolteachers to engagestudentsmCalifornias political process Jones appeared before the US SupremeCourt todefend Cahfomia sopen pnmarylaw and he successfullydefended Cahfomia s term limit law at the U S Ninth Circuit CourtofAppeals BillJones also modernized theSecretaryofState soffice Hedeveloped aweb site thatprovides comprehensiveinformation aboutmanyservices including campaignfinance lobbyingreports businessfilings andliveelectionmghtvotetotals In2003 BillJones retumed topnvate life Heresumed full timefarming operations andbeganplansforanewrenewable energyventure InDecember2003 he announcedhis candidacyfor the U S Senate 11 [Session1 June24 2003] [Begin Tape 1 Side A] CASTANBDA Thisis theoralhistoryofBillJonesonJune 24 2003 fortheState GovernmentOralHistoryProject We re inMr Jones officein Fresno California Thankyou Mr Jones forparticipatingintheproject Appreciate It JONES You re welcome CASTANEDA Welike tobeginthese interviews byreallystartingatthebeginmng andaskingyoutotellusalittlebitaboutwhenyouwerebom and where you were bom JONES Iwas bominCoahnga Cahfomia December20 1949 Myfamily comes from afarming background andhas contmued to farm over the pastfiftyyears onthewest side ofFresno County Mymother s family comes from afarming background alsoupmNorthern California sowe rebasicallyfarmers andcontinuedtoparticipatein thatkindofactivityallthetimeIwasin thepublic life CASTANEDA Wereyourgrandparents alsoinagnculture*^ JONES Yes bothmygrandparents were magnculture too CASTANEDA Were theyfromCalifornia also*^ JONES MygrandfatherwasfromHollandonmymother s side andmy grandfatheronmyfather ssidewasfromTexas My dadwasbom in Texas andhecametoCahformaintheearly1900s bnngmg along oneofthefirstcottonginsthatwenttoImpenal County downm Southem California CASTANEDA Where in Texas'^ JONES Big Spnngs Texas CASTANEDA Washe involvedin cottonfarmingthenin Texas'^ JONES Notnecessanly buthe andtheHams family who hasHams Ranch RestaurantandHams Feeding theyallcamefromthe sameplace together and we stillhave familymTexas that are into cattle in West Texas Soitwasnotnecessanlycotton but theydidbnngthecotton gmhereandstartthecottonindustrydown mtheImpenalValleyarea CASTANEDA Can you descnbe your earlyyears growingup'^ JONES Basically mthecountry Ilivedabout fortymileswestofhere west ofFresno inFirebaugh and grew upprettymuch asmost farm boys did workingafterschool horsebacknding hunting Somewhat isolated area andthenraised somecattlewhenIwasyounger too Then when Igot oh fifteen or so Imoved toFresno went to school inFresno andgraduatedfromBullardHigh School mFresnoin 67 CASTANEDA Beforeyoumoved toFresno whatsortofschoolingdidyouhave*? Was that averysmall school"? JONES Yeah a small school a Grammarschool It was about from first through sixthgrade about eightystudents inthewhole school very rural alotofmigrant workers atthattimebackmthefifties poor area forthemostpart So mostofmyearlyschoolingwasmsmall countryschools CASTANEDA Werethereanyteachers atthatpenodofyourschooling thathada particularmfluence on you"? JONES Oh Ithinkweonlyhadfour teachers mthewhole grammarschool NotparticularlythatIrecall Icantthinkofanythatreallycometo mind CASTANEDA So your activities before moving toFresno prettymuchbasicallysort ofworkingonthefarmandplayingwith kids JONES Well mostly asIsay therewerenta lotofchildrenoutthere so again itwasatypical farm lifestyle—horse dog hunt Spentalotof time mthoseactivitiesandworkingonthe farm CASTANEDA Didyou do much himting growingup*? JONES I vedone alotofhunting growing upintherural areas Ratherthan playing basketball after school backinthose days becausethere really IS no onearound Soit sprettymuchanindependent individualistic lifestyle CASTANEDA Canyou talk alittlebitabout your family growing up*^ JONES Yeah myfather was very active mpublic affairs neverranforoffice but very interestedin water issues and worked hard on the water development was appointedbyRonaldReagan toserveontheState WaterCommissionin 68andserved onalotofagnculturalboards and commissions forthe industry Mymotherwasahousewife butshewasacaptainintheairforce dunng World Warn so shewas very dnven and did agreatjobasa leaderinthefamilyintheruralarea Again childrendon thaveas manyactivities so shespentalotoftime workingwith us Had a goodchildhoodfirom thatstandpoint Mysisteristwo years olderthan Iam and sheand Igrew up together outthere Then mybrotherisfive years younger He s currentlydoingthefarming outthere But[it sa] prettyclose knit family again isolatedsomewhatinthe country sothat swhat happens when youhave that kind ofenvironment