Bill Lockyear

Almost every Californian knows the feeling: You take time off from work to wait for an appliance to be delivered or the cable television company to connect its service. The appliance never arrives. The cable is never installed. You lose. Now, you might be able to win if legislation moving its way to the governor's desk becomes law. The bill, by Sen.

Almost every Californian knows the feeling: You take time off from work to wait for an appliance to be delivered or the cable television company to connect its service. The appliance never arrives. The cable is never installed. You lose. Now, you might be able to win if legislation moving its way to the governor's desk becomes law. The bill, by Sen.

Scalping Crackdown: A stringent ticket scalping bill is scheduled to reach the Senate floor for debate today in Sacramento. The measure, introduced by California Judiciary Committee Chairman Bill Lockyear (D-Hayward), would make it a misdemeanor offense to resell tickets for profit anywhere "without the written permission of the owner or operator of the property on which an entertainment or athletic event is to be held."

Columnist Scott Harris' attack on [state] Sen. Bill Lockyear's peace offering to Valley secession advocates ("Any Friend of Paula's Is a Friend of Mine," Jan. 21) is typical of Harris's peculiar in-your-face style of journalism. Harris cites an unrelated 1982 case (Yorba Linda vs. Fullerton Joint Union High School District) as prima facie evidence that any detachment movement requires a full vote of the entire district of which the detaching community is a part. If Harris is correct, then someone should tell the cities of Calabasas, Malibu and West Hollywood that their [incorporations]

District attorney candidate Steve Cooley picked up a major endorsement Wednesday when John Van de Kamp, the former Los Angeles County district attorney and state attorney general, said he was supporting the challenger over two-term incumbent Gil Garcetti. In an unusually evenhanded statement, Van de Kamp praised Garcetti, saying the incumbent "deserves great credit for a long, distinguished public career." But he said eight years is enough for any district attorney and it is time for a change.

Capping weeks of speculation, state Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti on Thursday announced that he intends to run for state treasurer, casting himself as a new-style Democrat who seeks to "downsize" government. Roberti, a political powerhouse and a proven fund-raiser, is likely to be a major contender to succeed Kathleen Brown, who is expected to run for governor.