ISSUES ’86 : 39th ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

THE DISTRICT: Includes Arleta, Granada Hills, Lakeview Terrace, Pacoima, Panorama City, San Fernando, Sepulveda and Mission Hills and portions of Sylmar, North Hollywood, Sun Valley and Northridge. Democrats outnumber Republicans by 56.83% to 34.96%. The richly diverse district encompasses Latino and black neighborhoods in San Fernando and Pacoima, upper-middle-class areas in Northridge and blue-collar tract homes in Sepulveda.

THE SURVEY: Questionnaires were mailed to legislative and congressional candidates in September. Answers will be published periodically until the Nov. 4 election.

Richard Katz (Incumbent) Democrat, 36, has served three terms

Robert F. Thoreson Republican, 42, LAPD detective

1. THE SUPREME COURT: Do you support the retention of Rose Bird as chief justice of the state Supreme Court?

Katz: No Thoreson: No 2. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: Do you support capital punishment?

Katz: Yes Thoreson: Yes 3. OFFICIALS’ SALARIES: Do you support Proposition 61, which would limit the salaries of state and local officials to 80% of what the governor is paid?

Katz: No Thoreson: No 4. ENGLISH LANGUAGE: Do you support Proposition 63, which would make English the state’s official language?

Katz: No Thoreson: Yes 5. MANDATORY PRODUCT LABELING: Do you support Proposition 65, which among other things would require labeling of products containing chemicals that cause cancer or birth defects?

Katz: Yes Thoreson: No 6. RENT CONTROL: Do you support a statewide law, sought by landlords, which would limit how strictly local governments could regulate rents?

Katz: Yes Thoreson: Yes, except for mobile home parks 7. LOTTERY FUNDS: The Los Angeles Unified School District and others whose attendance is dramatically increasing would like to use their state lottery money to build schools. Would you support a bill allowing this?

Katz: Yes Thoreson: Undecided 8. HIGH SCHOOL CLASS SIZE: Would you have voted for the bill to appropriate $60 million to decrease class size in English, math and science in high schools?

Katz: Yes Thoreson: Yes 9. SANTA MONICA CONSERVANCY: Do you believe the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy should receive state funds each year to purchase and preserve open space?

Katz: Yes Thoreson: No 10. INSURANCE: Would you support requiring insurance companies that do business in California to cover cities and high-risk businesses such as day-care centers?

Katz: Yes Thoreson: No 11. CREDIT CARD INTEREST: Would you support reducing the maximum legal credit-card interest rate by linking it to money-market rates?

Katz: Yes Thoreson: No 12. LOS ANGELES PRISON: Do you support the construction of a state prison near East Los Angeles?

Katz: Yes Thoreson: Yes 13. DRUG TESTING: Should private employers have the right to require their workers to undergo unannounced drug tests?

Katz: No Answer Thoreson: No, except possibly for such groups as ambulance drivers and airline pilots Should public employers have that right?

Katz: No Answer Thoreson: Yes 14. SOUTH AFRICA: This summer the Legislature approved a bill which will lead to the sale of up to $11.3 billion in state investments in firms operating in South Africa. How would you have voted?

Katz: Yes Thoreson: No