Sen Bill Lockyer

What an appropriate apposition: The story of former state Sen. Alan Robbins selling out to a lobbyist's bribes right next to a description of SB 454 introduced by Sen. Bill Lockyer (Feb. 28). If it could be worth felony punishment for enabling people to cheat cable companies out of their grossly exaggerated premium channel fees, then perhaps the death penalty is the required remedy for senators who take money from big companies to serve narrow interests at the expense of fairness.

George Skelton's admiration of state Sen. Bill Lockyer's behavior--"He . . . can be a bully, the characteristic of a very good legislative leader"--is at best depressing and at worst disgusting (Capitol Journal, Sept. 18). Skelton's position on the "folly of term limits" is based on the alleged merits of experience. If I read his article correctly, Lockyer has been an elected official since he was 32, giving him an overload of experience in politics and zero experience in real life. What he does have, after 24 years in the Legislature, is influence and power.

George Skelton's admiration of state Sen. Bill Lockyer's behavior--"He . . . can be a bully, the characteristic of a very good legislative leader"--is at best depressing and at worst disgusting (Capitol Journal, Sept. 18). Skelton's position on the "folly of term limits" is based on the alleged merits of experience. If I read his article correctly, Lockyer has been an elected official since he was 32, giving him an overload of experience in politics and zero experience in real life. What he does have, after 24 years in the Legislature, is influence and power.

A simple gubernatorial advisory committee meeting mushroomed into a full-scale legislative battle Thursday, with Senate Democrats warning that the confirmation of two UC regent nominees may now hang in the balance. The fight erupted after Gov. Pete Wilson's appointments secretary attempted--unsuccessfully--to block Senate President Pro Tem Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward) from putting state Sen.

I was shocked to read state Sen. Bill Lockyer's comments regarding Torrance City Councilman George Nakano's campaign for the Senate against incumbent candidate Ralph C. Dills, as noted in the "Political Notebook" column (May 5). Sen. Lockyer, in commending Sen. Dills for his then-unpopular opposition to Japanese internment camps during World War II, suggests that Councilman Nakano, as a Japanese American, should not run against Dills in deference to the senator's longtime alliance with the Japanese American community.

Sen. Bill Lockyer's (D-Hayward) article (Editorial Pages, Oct. 22) concerning the proposed Crown Coach prison site is nothing more than a partisan hit piece against Gov. George Deukmejian. Lockyer falsely portrays the prison issue as a confrontation between the Republican governor and the Latino community. In so doing, he conveniently "forgets" the following: First, the Crown Coach bill has been carried for three years by a Democrat, Sen. Robert Presley of Riverside. Second, the Crown Coach site was approved last year on a unanimous (37-0)

We've seen it in the movies, some of us in real life. When an individual becomes hysterical, he often stands and screams. It's unpleasant to be around and may be embarrassing for the person involved, but in and of itself it's not particularly harmful. When politicians become hysterical, however, the rest of us suffer. And right now, California politicians--their anxious eyes fixed on the next election--are positively aquiver over crime. Take, for example, the state Senate's overwhelming passage Thursday of a bill by Sen. Ed Davis (R-Valencia)

"SLAPP in Face for Protesting Homeowners" (Times, July 5) describes a cynical, new legal ploy developers are using to deter community opposition to their projects. Homeowner organizations and individuals hesitating to raise valid challenges to proposed developments should, however, know about an important bill pending in the Legislature that will limit developers' right to use such aggressive tactics. Senate Bill 2313 (sponsored by state Sen. Bill Lockyer) would provide significant legal protection to persons exercising their First Amendment rights of petition or free speech in connection with a public issue, such as opposition to unwanted development.

The state Senate has passed a bill by Sen. Ed Davis (R-Valencia) that would require California lawyers to take continuing education courses. But there's one important exemption: State legislators who also are lawyers wouldn't have to take the classes. Also included in the exemption would be "officers, elected officials and full-time employees of the state of California, or of any political subdivision thereof." Davis said that under his bill, which the Senate approved Thursday, the State Bar would be required to ask the Supreme Court to administer a program requiring 36 hours of continuing legal education for lawyers every three years.

Will attend a Chamber of Commerce luncheon, a consular corps reception, and an Armenian Martyrs' Day commemorative event in San Diego on Monday. Assembly Floor Action: False IDs: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 67-1 vote a bill (AB 165) by Assemblyman Richard E. Floyd (D-Hawthorne) to increase the punishment for a person under 21 years of age using false identification to purchase alcohol from a $200 fine to a $250 fine plus 24 to 32 hours of community service. Super Agencies: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 42-30 vote a bill (AB 136)

State Senate leader Bill Lockyer on Thursday proposed merging key aspects of the state prison and county jail systems, turning over nonviolent state inmates to county jails, and giving the counties $1 billion annually to handle them. Lockyer made the proposal as part of an effort to reduce the ever-increasing cost of the state's $3.4-billion prison system, while giving counties more money to build jails and hire more deputies to handle as many as 25,000 state prisoners.

I was shocked to read state Sen. Bill Lockyer's comments regarding Torrance City Councilman George Nakano's campaign for the Senate against incumbent candidate Ralph C. Dills, as noted in the "Political Notebook" column (May 5). Sen. Lockyer, in commending Sen. Dills for his then-unpopular opposition to Japanese internment camps during World War II, suggests that Councilman Nakano, as a Japanese American, should not run against Dills in deference to the senator's longtime alliance with the Japanese American community.

What an appropriate apposition: The story of former state Sen. Alan Robbins selling out to a lobbyist's bribes right next to a description of SB 454 introduced by Sen. Bill Lockyer (Feb. 28). If it could be worth felony punishment for enabling people to cheat cable companies out of their grossly exaggerated premium channel fees, then perhaps the death penalty is the required remedy for senators who take money from big companies to serve narrow interests at the expense of fairness.

A stringent anti-ticket-scalping bill defeated in the state Senate on Thursday will come up for reconsideration on Tuesday. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward), lost by a margin of 16 to 12. Lockyer's office said he asked for and was granted reconsideration of the bill because he believed he could muster enough votes for passage. The bill was lobbied against heavily by the California Assn. of Ticket Agencies, which represents more than two dozen Los Angeles ticket brokers.

A bill that may jeopardize plans to build two private Orange County toll roads cleared its first legislative test Tuesday after its sponsor warned that business consortiums backing such transportation projects were guilty of "fundamental dishonesty." The Senate Transportation Committee voted 6 to 4 to approve a bill written by Sen.

"SLAPP in Face for Protesting Homeowners" (Times, July 5) describes a cynical, new legal ploy developers are using to deter community opposition to their projects. Homeowner organizations and individuals hesitating to raise valid challenges to proposed developments should, however, know about an important bill pending in the Legislature that will limit developers' right to use such aggressive tactics. Senate Bill 2313 (sponsored by state Sen. Bill Lockyer) would provide significant legal protection to persons exercising their First Amendment rights of petition or free speech in connection with a public issue, such as opposition to unwanted development.

Floor Action: Raffles: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 55-6 vote a constitutional amendment (ACA 20) by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-South San Francisco) to allow local governments to permit charitable organizations to conduct fund-raising raffles if the voters agree with such a move. State Official Income: Passed and sent to the Senate on 56-3 vote a bill (AB 1238) by Assemblyman Ted Lempert (D-San Mateo) to require incoming elected state officials, legislators and some local officials to disclose all income received during the year prior to assuming office.

Floor Action: Raffles: Passed and sent to the Senate on a 55-6 vote a constitutional amendment (ACA 20) by Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-South San Francisco) to allow local governments to permit charitable organizations to conduct fund-raising raffles if the voters agree with such a move. State Official Income: Passed and sent to the Senate on 56-3 vote a bill (AB 1238) by Assemblyman Ted Lempert (D-San Mateo) to require incoming elected state officials, legislators and some local officials to disclose all income received during the year prior to assuming office.

The Senate approved legislation Thursday authorizing a peace officer to immediately seize the driver's license of a suspected drunk motorist pending a formal hearing. Without debate, the bill went to the Assembly on a 27-0 vote amid mounting concerns statewide that drastically increased penalties enacted for drunk driving over the past few years have failed to produce the major reductions in deaths and injuries that supporters had expected. The bill, by Sen. Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward)