Peace to Bury Hatchet After Spat With Senator

CHULA VISTA-Assemblyman Steve Peace(D-Chula Vista) Friday charged he is this year’s victim of “a yearly ritual” by powerful State Sen. Alfred Alquist, who along with his colleagues are holding Peace’s bills hostage in the Senate after the two men exchanged angry obscenities in a Capitol corridor.

Speaking to reporters at his Chula Vista office, Peace charged that Alquist (D-San Jose) is getting back at him for blocking an earlier attempt by Alquist to put a nuclear waste dump in Imperial County, which is represented by Peace. The acerbic Peace has 19 bills pending in the Senate, where they are being killed or delayed by senators who say that Peace owes Alquist an apology.

“I’m still angry . . . retribution is not appropriate in legislative policy,” said Peace.

“This is not his first experience with this,” he said. “It’s sort of a yearly ritual with him. The senator is not used to having people fight back. He likes to have things done the way he wants things done.”

Peace and Alquist exchanged slurs Tuesday after the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is chaired by the 77-year-old Alquist, killed a measure proposed by Peace to spend $3 million for school buses for handicapped passengers. Peace said that Alquist called him a “14-karat asshole” and Peace responded by calling the Legislature’s senior member a “pitiful little creature.”

On Thursday, Alquist told reporters that Peace is “totally undeserving of a seat in the Legislature,” a day after he suggested the San Diego representative seek psychiatric help. Senate President Pro Tempore David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) has asked Peace to apologize to Alquist and the Senate.

Peace said that he has since met privately with Alquist and has apologized to him. According to Peace, Alquist admitted to initiating the angry exchange of words, then put his arm around Peace’s shoulder and said, “I have a short fuse.”

For his part, Peace said that in hindsight he should have walked away when Alquist started shouting.

“I regret having had a confrontation with the senator . . . I should have let him attack me, hurled invectives and walked away. I’ve also applied for sainthood,” said Peace.

He said that Alquist has agreed to meet with him on Monday to settle their differences. Alquist could not be reached to confirm the meeting.