California IN BRIEF : ANAHEIM : Disneyland Ends Political Freebies

It used to be that elected officials at all levels of California government could count on at least one common perk: free tickets to Disneyland. Not anymore. Politicians are being asked to pay their own way into the Magic Kingdom--thanks to two Anaheim council members who last year were temporarily barred from voting on issues related to Disneyland’s $3-billion expansion. The state Fair Political Practices Commission temporarily prohibited Councilmen Irv Pickler and Bob D. Simpson from casting votes on the mammoth expansion project after they received free tickets. Pickler, who was released from his six-month Disney voting prohibition in November, described the theme park’s new policy as “ridiculous.”