Brown Balks at Limit on Gifts to Legislators : Ethics: The Speaker argues a proposed ceiling of $250 in value would prevent him from accepting tickets to events such as the Academy Awards or the Super Bowl.

Assembly Speaker Willie Brown objected Monday to a proposed $250 limit on gifts to legislators, arguing that it would prevent him from accepting free tickets to such events as the Academy Awards ceremony and the Super Bowl.

The powerful San Francisco Democrat said the Legislature should not adopt a limit that would interfere with “normal social interaction,” such as accepting free tickets to the World Series, the Kentucky Derby and the Indianapolis 500.

“I don’t think anyone in his right mind would suggest there is anything wrong with going to the Academy Awards,” Brown said. “I think we ought to think about what we’re doing to ourselves.”

Brown’s comments came as a two-house conference committee considered adopting legislation that would impose stricter ethical standards on the Legislature, including a ban on honorariums, a limit on gifts and restrictions on lobbying by former legislators.

The bill is designed to implement the provisions of Proposition 112 on the June 5 ballot, a measure that would require the Legislature to adopt tougher ethics rules and would create a salary commission empowered to give legislators a substantial pay raise.

Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles), the chief backer of the plan, has urged his colleagues to adopt legislation now so that the voters will know precisely what Proposition 112 will do. But Brown and other lawmakers have balked at adopting some of the specific restrictions.

On Monday, the six-member conference committee, which includes Brown, Roberti and other legislative leaders, tentatively agreed to ban honorariums for legislators regardless of whether Proposition 112 is approved by the voters.

In addition, the panel gave preliminary approval to a provision prohibiting members of the State Board of Equalization from voting on matters affecting anyone who has contributed $250 or more to their campaigns in the preceding 12 months. There is now nothing that prevents tax board members or legislators from voting on matters directly affecting their campaign donors.

Although Proposition 112 would require the Legislature to strictly limit gifts, Brown proposed that the panel deem gifts over $250 to be income, and therefore subject to conflict-of-interest provisions.

But lobbyists for the citizens group Common Cause argued that this plan, in essence, would permit honorarium payments under a different name. They called on the committee to prohibit all gifts that are larger than $250.

“A $250 limit is defensible and appropriate,” said James Wheaton, the organization’s executive director.

Brown contended that the gift limit would be too restrictive and would keep him from taking free tickets to a wide range of sporting and show business events. Accepting the tickets, whether they are for the National Basketball Assn. playoffs or the World Series “has nothing to do with influence,” he maintained.

The Speaker lamented that he would no longer be able to attend the Academy Awards ceremony for free, as he did last week.

Responded Assembly Republican Leader Ross Johnson, also a member of the committee: “You can come to my house and watch it on TV, Mr. Speaker.”

But both Brown and Johnson agreed that one provision of the draft legislation holds far more potential for corruption--a section that would allow legislators to accept a gift of up to 14 days lodging in a private home or vacation condo.

Roberti, acting as the chairman of the committee, scheduled a hearing for Wednesday to consider amendments to the legislation.