The State - News from May 30, 1986

The Assembly narrowly reaffirmed its approval of a bill intended to get a San Diego-based pizza chain’s police car look-alike delivery vehicles off the streets. After passing comfortably, 51 to 8, on Wednesday, the bill by Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-Chula Vista) eked out by a bare majority--41 to 27--and was sent to the Senate. To win passage, Peace had to persuade Assembly members to change their votes and Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) had to delay proceedings for more than seven minutes while legislators attending a budget conference committee on the other side of the Capitol were summoned to the Assembly chamber to cast their votes. The bill, introduced at the request of the San Diego City Council, would make it illegal to equip non-police cars with light bars designed to resemble the real thing. It is aimed at the New York Pizza Department (N.Y.P.D.) restaurant in Mission Valley, which began using a police motif as a marketing gimmick last year.