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Omer Rains (born in Barnett, Missouri, September 25, 1941) is an American Politician, Lawyer, Author, Eco-Entrepreneur and Humanist. At the request of the University of California, Senator Rains donated the majority of his public records and files to the U.C. Campus at Santa Barbara (UCSB). The University then catalogued and archived the material and it is now housed in the University Library for use by historians, students and others as a “Special Collection” of the University. The collection is comprised of thousands of documents and files covering 35 linear feet of shelf space and is available for review by interested parties. The majority of information that follows can be confirmed by documents in that collection, referenced hereinafter as “UCSB Collection.”

Elected to the Senate as a Democrat in 1974 Rains served three terms prior to running for the Office of Attorney General of California. His Senate District included over a million people in the Central Coast area of California between Los Angeles and  San Francisco including, but not limited to, the Counties of  Ventura and  Santa Barbara. In that capacity, among numerous other positions, he served as Chairman of the Senate Majority Caucus (the youngest in State history), as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Political Reform, as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and of all other Committees that dealt with either the administration of civil or criminal justice.

Senator Rains was also recognized as one of the leading environmentalists in the  California Legislature and was the principal architect of  California container deposit legislation (commonly known as the "Bottle Bill"). Rains also served as Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Committee on Legal Equality, at that time the only legislative committee in the United States established to address legal inequality between the sexes.

A former U.S. Presidential candidate has stated that “Omer Rains…has left us with a legacy of legislative and humanitarian achievements that few of his generation can match. ”

Early Life and Education
Rains was born in Barnett, Missouri on September 25, 1941 to Roy and Janice Rains. At age 11, along with other members of his immediate family, he moved to California where he engaged in manual labor while attending both elementary and high school. Rains graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1959, and thereafter entered the  University of California, Berkeley. Rains was to receive his B.A. in Political Science, his  Bachelor of Law degree, and his  Doctorate of Jurisprudence all from the  University of California, Berkeley. Thereafter, along with his wife and first child he moved to Ventura, California where he began professional life as a prosecutor in the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

As a result of his activity in a multitude of civic affairs in Ventura, before reaching the age of 30, Rains received the "Distinguished Service Award" as his community's "Outstanding Citizen”. "Those early community activities included coaching in the Ventura Youth Basketball League and helping to establish a youth employment service, a free legal clinic, a community hotline, a drug treatment center, and a medical program for the aged and infirm. He also served as Chairman of the Ventura Planning Commission, as Chairman of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Commission, and on several other State, Regional, and Local entities.

His early involvements also included the American Civil Rights movement and work in numerous planning and environmental causes, groups and related organizations, most of which he represented as an attorney on a pro bono basis. He also served on the University of California Alumni Council and as a Trustee of the Robert Maynard Hutchins Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions.

Political Career
At age 32, Omer was elected to serve the first of three terms in the California Senate representing over a million people in the Central Coast Area of California (principally the Counties of  Santa Barbara and Ventura). Although a staunch fiscal conservative, Rains was generally considered to be quite progressive on social issues. In spite of the difference in party affiliation, when Ronald Reagan was Governor of California, Rains and Reagan developed a close working relationship and an abiding friendship that was maintained during Reagan’s later years as President. .

In the Senate, Rains was quickly acknowledged as one of its leading environmentalists. He was the principal architect of container deposit legislation (commonly known as the "Bottle Bill"), and as a Gubernatorial appointee to the State Geothermal Resources Task Force and the SolarCal Council, he pioneered legislation encouraging the development and use of alternative energy sources, such as solar, geothermal, biomass conversion, cogeneration, wind, and developing ocean technologies. He also authored legislation to purchase beach property for public use, secured passage of an historic measure to protect the California deserts by preventing the "piracy" of California's native plants, enacted legislation to prevent strip-mining in the National and State Forests, and was instrumental in establishing the Redwood National Park. .

Steeped in the civil rights movement, Rains also served as Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Committee on Legal Equality, at that time the only legislative committee in the United States established to address legal inequality between the sexes. In that capacity he developed and sheperded into law a comprehensive package of 68 bills which allowed the cause of women's rights to successfully advance in California from one of discussion to one of action. As a result of his efforts to amend and repeal various sections of the California Codes that discriminated on the basis of sex, California became the first state in the nation to conform its laws to the "Equal Rights Amendment." In recognition of this fact, the President of the National Women's Political Caucus stated that "Senator Omer Rains has done more to advance the cause of women's rights and equality under the law than any legislator in California history."

Official Senate Resolution Regarding the Legislative Career of Senator Rains
CALIFORNIA STATE RESOLUTION RELATIVE TO COMMENDING SENATOR OMER L. RAINS

“WHEREAS, The Honorable Omer L. Rains, representative of the 18th Senatorial District, will be closing his tenure of service at the end of this session and in recognition of the outstanding record of leadership which he has displayed in office, is deserving of special honor and highest commendations; and

WHEREAS, First elected to the California Senate at the age of 32, Senator Rains is now completing his third term as Senator representing the Counties of Santa Barbara and Ventura; and

WHEREAS, During his three terms, Senator Rains has held the following leadership positions, among others: Chairman, Senate Majority Caucus; Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee; Chairman, Business and Professions Committee; Chairman, Elections and Reapportionment Committee; Chairman, Joint Committee on Legal Equality; Chairman, Joint Committee for Revision of the Penal Code; Chairman, Select Committee on Political Reform; Chairman, Select Committee on Government Regulation; Chairman, Subcommittee on the Administration of Justice; Chairman, Subcommittee on Board of Prison Terms; and Senate Representative to both the California Law Revision Commission and the State Judicial Council; and

WHEREAS, Senator Rains, at 35, became the youngest person ever to hold the position of Chairman of the Senate Majority Caucus, being unanimously elected to that position during successive legislative sessions (1977-1980); and

WHEREAS, In his capacity as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and of all other Committees which dealt with either the administration of criminal or civil justice, Senator Rains became the recognized leader with respect to matters pertaining to the Judiciary in the California Senate; and

WHEREAS, As the Legislature's representative on the California Law Revision Commission, he carried a series of bills that struck from the books innumerable outdated laws, and as the Legislature's representative on the State Judicial Council, he acted to aid aggrieved parties and consumers by authoring landmark legislation allowing for the payment of prejudgment interest on court judgments for the first time in California history; and

WHEREAS, His efforts in the area of criminal law produced in 1981-82 what has been referred to as "the most comprehensive anti-crime package in recent California history", and he did so without sacrificing the vigilant protection of constitutional guarantees for which he has always actively stood and fought; and

WHEREAS, Senator Rains, in recognition of the devastating effects of child molestation and child abuse, authored an historic six-part package of bills putting the needs of child victims first while balancing the societal goal of protecting the family unit, and to further protect children Senator Rains authored legislation to insure that all school children are immunized against measles, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, and tetanus; and

WHEREAS, To provide part-time work for persons unable to work full-time, he authored legislation to establish California's first "Part- time Employment Act" and to help prevent a health care breakdown in California, he carried legislation during the 1975 Special Session designed to curtail skyrocketing malpractice insurance rates which had placed California's health care services in serious jeopardy; and

WHEREAS, Senator Rains, as one of the leading environmentalists in the California Legislature, is the principal architect of container deposit legislation, commonly known as the "Bottle Bill"; and

WHEREAS, As Vice Chairman of the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee, and as a Gubernatorial appointee to the State Geothermal Resources Task Force and the SolarCal Council, he has authored pioneering legislation encouraging the development and use of alternative energy sources, such as solar, geothermal, co-generation, wind, and developing ocean technologies; and

WHEREAS, He also created the "Oil Spill Liability Act," authored legislation to purchase beach property for public use, secured passage of an historic measure to protect the California deserts by preventing the "piracy" of our State's native plants, and enacted legislation to prevent strip-mining in the Los Padres National Forest; and

WHEREAS, He authored legislation which ended the inequitable program that called for mandatory installation of NOx devices on automobiles; and also oversaw establishment of an interconnecting network of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails between state parks, California missions, and state and federal historic sites which is unique throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, Senator Rains has been equally sensitive to the needs of California's business community and, as Chairman of the Select Committee on Government Regulation, has acted to identify regulatory abuses and has authored laws streamlining the State's cumbersome permit process, in addition to starting California down the road toward "zero-base" budgeting and establishing time tables for periodic review of state agencies (encompassing the "sunset" concept to eliminate programs whose existence can no longer be justified); and

WHEREAS, To further the creation of a healthy business climate, he also jointly authored the "Lockyer-Rains Economic Development Act of 1977" which consolidated the economic planning functions of several agencies into one Department of Economic and Business Development and established an Office of State Tourism; and

WHEREAS, As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Elections and Reapportionment and of the Select Committee on Political Reform, Senator Rains vigorously fought for the principles of full disclosure and open government, and authored far-reaching legislation which prohibited the use of false endorsements in political campaigns and banned the fraudulent solicitation of campaign funds; and

WHEREAS, Steeped in the civil rights movement, Omer Rains served as Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Legal Equality, the only legislative committee in the United States established to address legal inequality between the sexes, and in that capacity he developed a comprehensive package of 68 bills which allowed the cause of women's rights to successfully advance in California from one of discussion to one of action; and

WHEREAS, As a result of his efforts to amend and repeal various sections of the California Codes that discriminated on the basis of sex, California became the first state in the union to conform its law to the "Equal Rights Amendment" and in recognition of this fact, in 1976 the President of the National Women's Political Caucus stated that "Senator Omer Rains has done more to advance the cause of women's rights and equality under the law than any legislator in California history, " a fitting accolade for one who has always embraced the American ideal: "Equal Justice Under the Law"; and

WHEREAS, Senator Rains' excellence as a legislator has been complemented by an ongoing rapport with both his colleagues and constituents, and he will be greatly missed by all those who have had the pleasure of associating with him; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, That the Members express their appreciation to their colleague and good friend, the Honorable Omer L. Rains, for his many invaluable contributions on behalf of the people of the state throughout his distinguished career in the California Legislature, and convey their best wishes for every success in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit a suitably prepared copy of this resolution to the Honorable Omer L. Rains.”

Legal Career
As a prominent attorney, financier and investment advisor with extensive experience in all major world money-market and finance centers, Rains has engaged in business throughout the world. In addition to his Lake Tahoe and  New York bases, for many years he maintained permanent offices in Geneva,  Switzerland and had satellite offices in several other international cities.

•	Martindale-Hubbell National Law Directory "A" "V" Rating, the highest rating possible for both legal competency and for faithful adherence to the highest of ethical standards.

•	(LL.B./J.D., 1966). Phi Alpha Delta Legal Society, University of California (Berkeley)

•	Ventura County District Attorney’s Office (Supervisor of Offices and Major Felony Trial Deputy)

•	Private Practice: Law Offices of Omer L. Rains

•	Admitted, U.S. Supreme Court, 1972

•	Admitted, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

•	Admitted, U.S. District Courts, Northern, Central, Southern and Eastern Districts of California

•	Admitted, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

•	Admitted, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Michigan

•	Admitted, U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri

•	Admitted, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota

•	Admitted, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio

•	Special Citation of Merit, California Trial Lawyers Association, 1971

•	Representative Clients: Telecommunications, Inc. (TCI); Ticketmaster; Liberty Media; Sierra Club; Sacramento Union & affiliated newspapers; Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

•	Member, State Judicial Council (1979-1982).

•	Member, California Law Revision Commission (1979-1982)

•	Chairman: Senate Judiciary Committee (1979 – 1982)

•	Candidate for Attorney General, State of California, 1982

•	Service as Judge Pro Tempore on both the Superior Courts and Municipal Courts of California

•	Member: Sacramento County, Ventura County and American Bar Associations, State Bar of California, California Trial Lawyers Association

•	Emphasis in private practice on International Merchant Banking, Anti-Trust, First Amendment, and Complex Business Litigation.

Nonprofit and Humanitarian Work
Having served as Jimmy Carter's California State Chair and Western States Co-Chair during Carter’s Presidential campaigns, and having thereafter become involved in many of the former President's key projects, Rains has served as an international elections monitor/observer. He also served as an advisor to the South African Constitutional Revision Commission at the request of Nelson Mandela.

Much of Rains' current time is spent working with indigenous peoples, primarily in lesser developed nations. Among other humanitarian endeavors, he served as Chairman of the International Board of Director’s of Rural Education and Development (READ) Global for several years. During his tenure, READ built over 50 libraries, economic development projects and women's empowerment centers in rural and remote parts of Nepal, India, and Bhutan, all countries in which Rains continues to spend much of his time. Of special importance to him has been his work in the village of Ullon, West Bengal, India. He also works extensively on humanitarian causes in both Latin America and Africa. For his worldwide humanitarian work, Rains has been the recipient of Cambridge’s "International Professional of the Year for Community-Based Education and Outreach."

Brain Aneurysm and Stroke
Rains suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm and an associated hemmorhagic stroke at the age of 61. In critical condition near death for over a month, he was carried home in a paralytic state and told that he would never walk again. Within a year, however, he made a recovery that has defied medical explanations and was again leading an incredibly active and adventurous life, primarily in the service of others. In 2011, Rains authored a highly acclaimed book chronicling his life and his recovery from the brain aneurysm and stroke entitled “Back to the Summit: How One Man Defied Death and Paralysis to Again Lead a Full Life of Service to Others”.

Publications
"The Fallacy of Neutral Regulatory Reform,” California Law Reporter, University of San Diego School of Law, Fall, 1981;

"Government Spending and Regulation," California Finance Report, February/March, 1981;

"The Community Force”, Magazine of the West, June, 1982;

"Legal Services for the Poor," The Center Magazine, January/February, 1986.

"Back to the Summit: How One Man Defied Death and Paralysis to Again Lead a Full Life of Service to Others," Morgan James Publishing Co., New York, New York, 2012 (www.backtothesummit.com).

California. Hearings on Community Crime Prevention: Tuesday, November 17, 1981, San Diego, California and Thursday, December 17, 1981, Los Angeles, California / Sacramento, CA: Legislative Publications Office, [1982]

California. Hearing on Child Molestation Legislation, SB 276, SB 277, SB 278, SB 586, SB 587, SB 588: Friday, April 24, 1981 : San Francisco, California / Sacramento, CA: Legislative Publications Office, [1981]

California. Final report of the Joint Committee on Legal Equality. [Sacramento]: The Committee, 1978.

California. Voter Residency and Registration/[Sacramento]: The Committee, 1976.

California. Assistance to Register and Vote for Language Minority Persons: interim hearing, October 1, 1976, Los Angeles, California. Sacramento, CA, 1976.

California. Equal Rights for Homemakers, Community Property Laws, and Enforcement of Child Support Laws: Transcript of hearing of the Joint Committee on Legal Equality, Santa Barbara, California, February 27, 1976. [Sacramento]: The Committee, [1976]

California. A Review of State Testing Procedures and their Impact on Women and Minority Employees: Transcript of hearing of the Joint Committee on Legal Equality, Senator Omer L. Rains, Chairperson, Sacramento, California, March 12, 1976. [Sacramento]: The Committee, [1976].

The Re-entering Woman, from Housewife to Career: Transcript of hearing of the Joint Committee on Legal Equality, San Jose, California, March 15, 1974.

Women and the California Labor Code: Transcript of hearing of the Joint Committee on Legal Equality, Santa Barbara, California, October 16, 1975.

A Review of State Testing Procedures and their Impact on Women and Minority Employees: Transcript of hearing of the Joint Committee on Legal Equality, Senator Omer L. Rains, Chairperson, Sacramento, California, March 12, 1976.

Career Education and Women: Edited transcript of hearing of the Joint Committee on Legal Equality, Omer L. Rains, Chairman, San Diego, California, March 15, 1975.

Public Access to Government: Hearing, Santa Barbara, California September 20, 1974.

Medical Rights of Women: Transcript of hearing of the Joint Committee on Legal Equality, Senator Omer L. Rains, Chairman, Los Angeles, California, April 23, 1976.