Ferguson Is Confronted by Colleague Over Letter : Politics: Assemblyman Steve Peace angrily berates--some say slaps--the lawmaker who publicly accused him of voting ‘to keep pornography available to children.’

Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach) on Friday was verbally confronted--some witnesses say even slapped--by a San Diego lawmaker upset about Ferguson’s public letter accusing the colleague of keeping “pornography available to your children.”

The shouting match erupted early Friday in a Capitol corridor when Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-Rancho San Diego) ran up to Ferguson and began shouting about his letter published in the morning’s San Diego Union.

“He was in an almost incoherent, wild condition of rage,” Ferguson said. “And he was screaming and wailing his arms. He had a piece of paper, a news clip, and was screaming something that he wasn’t a pornographer.”

One witness who asked not to be identified said he saw Peace slap the elder Ferguson, using an open right hand to deliver a glancing blow to the shoulder. But both Peace and Ferguson denied there was any physical contact.

Ferguson said that one of his aides was so rattled by Peace’s outburst that she went into a nearby legislative office and called for help. A young man ran out into the hallway and pinned Peace, still yelling, against the wall, Ferguson said. Also helping to separate the men was fellow Assemblyman John Burton (D-San Francisco).

“We were both exchanging our opinion,” Peace said. “I think what happened is that people came out of the offices and totally misinterpreted the situation. It was weird, totally weird.”

Both men decided to continue their discussion in Peace’s legislative office, but the San Diego legislator was still irate, said Ferguson.

“We get in the elevator and he’s still yelling and scared some people,” Ferguson said.

At issue was Ferguson’s letter to newspapers in his district accusing Peace of following the lead of Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) in tying up a bill to effectively ban sales of pornographic tabloids from sidewalk newspaper racks.

In a procedural move, Peace and other Democrats voted against the measure on July 17.

“Mothers and fathers, you can rest easy,” Ferguson wrote in the letter. “Be assured that your state representative, Assemblyman Steve Peace, has voted to keep pornography available to your children.”

The letter then urged readers to call Peace’s Sacramento office and ask him personally about his vote.

Ferguson said Peace was concerned about how the letter might affect his wife and children. At one point Friday, the Newport Beach Republican said he would consider apologizing to Peace’s wife, but later in the day said he would not.

Ferguson also said that Peace threw his fork during a noon luncheon for legislators when Burton made a joke about the incident after tempers had cooled. The fork nearly hit Assemblywoman Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) in the head, said Ferguson.

Friday was the last day of the 1990 legislative session. Lawmakers and legislative staff members have been working long hours for the last week to pass hundreds of bills by midnight Friday.