BILL NUMBER: HR 12 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 3, 2007
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Mullin
( Coauthors: Assembly Members
Adams, Aghazarian, Bass, Berg,
Berryhill, Blakeslee, Brownley,
Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Cook, Coto, Davis, De La
Torre, De Leon, DeSaulnier, DeVore,
Duvall, Dymally, Emmerson,
Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fuller,
Gaines, Galgiani, Garcia,
Garrick, Hancock, Hayashi,
Hernandez, Horton, Houston,
Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Karnette,
Keene, Krekorian, La Malfa,
Laird, Leno, Levine, Lieber,
Lieu, Ma, Maze, Mendoza,
Nakanishi, Niello, Nunez,
Parra, Portantino, Price,
Richardson, Salas, Saldana, Silva,
Smyth, Solorio, Strickland,
Swanson, Torrico, Tran,
Villines, and Wolk )
MAY 2, 2007
Relative to Louis J. Papan.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST
WHEREAS, Louis J. Papan had a distinguished career in public
service, being first elected to the California State Assembly in
1972, where he served until 1986, and then returned to serve in the
Assembly from 1996 to 2002; and
WHEREAS, During his record tenure as Chairman of the Assembly
Rules Committee from 1976 to 1986, Lou Papan earned the sobriquet
"The Enforcer" for his faithful service to Speakers Leo McCarthy and
Willie L. Brown, Jr. in an era when, as the California Journal
declared, "Every Speaker needs someone who, when they get up in the
morning, does not need to believe anybody loves them"; and
WHEREAS, Lou Papan loved kids, and taking the helm of the State
Capitol Restoration, California's Bicentennial Project, he pushed for
the now familiar ground level museum which he saw as necessary to
give students more education than the county exhibits could offer;
and
WHEREAS, At birth in Springfield, Massachusetts, Lou Papan was
named Elias Papandricoupolos, but because the doctor who delivered
him was not familiar with the name Elias, he wrote Louis on the birth
certificate; and
WHEREAS, Lou's parents, John and Flora Papandricoupolos, emigrated
from Peloponnese, Greece, to Springfield, Massachusetts. Both his
parents worked to support him and his younger sister, Kiki. His
mother, Flora, worked full time in a garment factory for 40 years.
His father, John, worked in a restaurant. Lou started school as a
latchkey kid who spoke only Greek. In order to survive, he quickly
learned English; and
WHEREAS, A spunky kid with an entrepreneurial spirit in the middle
of the Depression, Lou began shining shoes to help support the
family. On a good day, he would bring home more than his father. He
went on to work in an armory and a leather factory. He also spent one
day working in a tire factory. However, when he came home covered in
black soot, his mother refused to let him go back; and
WHEREAS, Lou graduated from Technical High School and at age 17 he
left the security of his close-knit Greek family to join the Army.
Sergeant Papandricoupolos's 16-letter last name almost completely
encircled his Army helmet; and
WHEREAS, Following the Army, Lou went to Syracuse University,
where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. As an Air Force
reservist in college, upon graduation he served as a First Lieutenant
during the Korean Conflict. After Korea, Lou entered Georgetown Law
School and then attended the Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy.
As a Special Agent for the F.B.I., he was sent to San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, Lou's time in San Francisco changed his life forever, for
it was there that he met and married the love of his live, Irene
Damis, who was from Portland, Oregon, and studying at Mills College.
Lou left the F.B.I. and entered the real estate and insurance
business and co-founded the Peninsula Bank of Commerce in 1981; and
WHEREAS, Lou's 42 years of marriage resulted in three beautiful
children: John, Gina, and Diane; and
WHEREAS, Gina, formerly a California Deputy Attorney General, is
now the Deputy Director of the California Office of Criminal and
Justice Planning. She was elected to the Millbrae City Council in
November 2005. Diane practices law in San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, Regrettably, John Papan suffered for most of his 21 years
of life from a rare congenital illness. Being parents of a child
with special needs became a harsh reality. However, Lou and Irene
made the conscious decision to make John's life as full and normal as
possible. Despite John's illness his tremendous will and spirit
enriched the lives of all he knew, particularly his father, who
became committed to making a difference for kids with special needs;
and
WHEREAS, While at the pinnacle of his public Rules Committee
power, Lou Papan privately endured the inability to change his son's
life. He was deeply inspired by his son's courage, frequently
recounting the story of how he once watched his son, then a young
man, endure tests that sent waves of burning pain through his limbs,
only to hear John turn and quip to his doctors that "It was time to
call the fire trucks"; and
WHEREAS, Lou and Irene carried on John's spirit after his passing
by starting a scholarship in his name and a not-for-profit clothing
bank, John's Closet, that provides new clothes to needy children. In
doing so, John's Closet seeks to promote self-esteem and encourage
kids to stay in school; and
WHEREAS, While in the Legislature, Lou Papan worked tirelessly to
champion the causes of children, workers, and families. He authored
legislation improving public instruction for disabled students,
requiring the reporting of child and elder abuse, and establishing
childcare centers for families with business before the courts; and
WHEREAS, Lou Papan, whose birth in the year before the Great
Depression gave him a clear memory of the financial need his parents'
generation faced, led the Legislature's reform of the state pension
systems amid an era of looming change by championing, and seeing the
adoption in 1984 after its 1982 rejection of, a State Constitutional
Amendment imposing upon the investment activities of the state's
pension systems the heightened standard of the prudent expert rule;
and
WHEREAS, Lou Papan played a key role in establishing and expanding
California's public transportation agencies. He carried legislation
to ensure the future reliability of our regional water delivery
system, to encourage conservation and recycling on a regional basis,
and to assist in financing essential system improvements; and
WHEREAS, Lou Papan also wrote significant legislation affecting
business in California. As Chairman of the Banking and Finance
Committee, he spearheaded efforts to support independent banking
institutions and authored legislation to amend state escrow laws to
allow Internet-based companies to conduct e-business; and
WHEREAS, Lou Papan also increased legislative accountability by
ensuring that the Legislature's records were subject to the
Legislative Open Records Act, and ensuring the viability and
professional management of the public employees and state teachers
retirement systems in California. Lou Papan was also successful in
securing funding to purchase beachfront property in Pacifica for the
state parks system and to protect endangered species in an area
proposed for development on San Bruno Mountain; and
WHEREAS, As Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee, Lou Papan
oversaw the restoration of the State Capitol, a six-year project with
a $67 million budget which was completed on time and on budget, and
the building now bears a plaque with his name on it. Under his
leadership, the Rules Committee was also responsible for the creation
of the first minority outreach program in the Legislature; and
WHEREAS, Lou Papan treasured his Greek heritage of having always
been free, heroically courageous, and democracy's birthplace so much
so that in periods of great challenge, Assemblyman Papan was quick to
cite the motto of the Spartans, "C OAI C ANE OAO" ("We win, or we
return on our shield"), to signal his resolve to prevail in the
challenges he faced; and
WHEREAS, Lou Papan received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in
1996. The award is given by the National Ethnic Coalition of
Organizations (NECO) to ethnic Americans who have made significant
contributions to this country; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
Assembly mourns the passing of Louis J. Papan and extends its
condolences to his family and many friends; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk distribute copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.