Peace Erupts in Capitol Corridor : Politics: Assembly colleague Gil Ferguson’s letter on pornography vote leads to a verbal confrontation, but both deny reports that Peace struck him.

Assemblyman Steve Peace (D-Rancho San Diego) on Friday verbally confronted--some witnesses say even slapped--an Orange County colleague who accused him in a public letter of voting to “keep pornography available to your children.”

The shouting match erupted early Friday in a Capitol corridor when Peace ran up to Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach) and began shouting about Ferguson’s letter, published in that morning’s San Diego Union.

“He was in an almost incoherent, wild condition of rage,” Ferguson said. “And he was screaming and whaling 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 contact.

Ferguson said 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 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, Ferguson said.

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

At issue was a letter Ferguson sent to newspapers in Peace’s district accusing the San Diego County lawmaker of following the lead of Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) in tying up a bill that would effectively ban sales of pornographic tabloids from sidewalk newspaper racks. In a procedural move, Peace and other Democrats voted against the measure July 17.

“Mothers and fathers, you can rest easy,” Ferguson wrote. “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, Ferguson said he would consider apologizing to Peace’s wife, but later in the day said he would not.

Ferguson also said 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, Ferguson said.

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

Frayed nerves were blamed for short tempers that erupted Tuesday night, also over a San Diego-related incident, as one lobbyist took a swipe at Sen. Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward).

Lockyer confronted the lobbyist, former San Diego Sen. Bob Wilson, and accused him of working for San Diego County judges who hoped to hold on to an arrangement for enhanced pension benefits. During the last week of the session, Lockyer has called the pension benefits a “backdoor” raise and has worked to undo the arrangement, which passed the Legislature last year.

Tony Beard Jr., the Senate’s chief sergeant-at-arms, said this week that he stepped between the men when Wilson tried to hit Lockyer.

“I intervened when Mr. Wilson took a swipe at the member,” Beard said. “His arm came back, and it was more in a punch motion, but I don’t know if it (Wilson’s hand) was in a fist. It could have been a strong shove.”