Papers in the collection originated from Magliari's involvement with the Mono Lake Committee (Magliari has been a member since 1977). Most of the collection involves Magliari's work on the state capitol office staff of California State Senator John Garamendi (Thirteenth District). In April 1980, Magliari took a leave of absence from his graduate studies in History at the University of California, Davis, and joined Garamendi's staff as his Field Representative and press secretary. His chief duties included the drafting and management of Garamendi's Mono Lake legislation. In January 1981, Magliari resumed his graduate education, but remained on Garamendi's staff as a student intern and volunteer consultant on Mono Lake until December 1981.

During the critical early period in the campaign to save Mono Lake, Garamendi introduced three pieces of legislation on behalf of the Mono Lake Committee:

Magliari wrote both SCR 79 and SB 83, and managed all three pieces of legislation through the various stages of the legislative process. During this time, he worked very closely with Mono Lake Committee President David Gaines and committee lobbyists Tom Cassidy and Tim Such.

Along with copies of the above legislation, the collection also includes: Senate Bill 1120; notes, drafts, correspondence, press releases, legislative histories, etc., pertaining to these and other Mono Lake legislation