CAPITOL NOTEBOOK: NEWSWORTHY GUNS ACQUIRED THROUGH SHOWS.

Byline: Terri Hardy and Dorothy Korber

WHILE researching information for a new bill that would increase oversight of the nearly 200 gun shows held in California each year, staff members for Assemblywoman Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, unearthed some surprising information: Several of the guns used in the 1997 North Hollywood shootout were bought at gun shows, according to Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agents in Los Angeles.

The suspects, Emil Dechebal Matasareanu and Larry Eugene Phillips Jr., were not the buyers. ATF agents told Romero's staff that it appeared that once the guns were purchased at the show, they went onto the black market, and law enforcement officials believe that's how the men obtained the weapons.

The flow of weapons from gun shows is now of even greater concern. Investigators in Colorado believe that at least one of the weapons used in the Columbine High School massacre was purchased at a gun show.

True confessions

Speaking to the Sacramento Press Club, new Attorney General Bill Lockyer joked that one of his favorite new activities is reading dossiers on the Capitol press corps. The group laughed, then pressed Lockyer: Did former Attorney General Dan Lungren actually keep files on reporters? Lockyer said he hadn't found any such reports. However, he said that when his staff arrived in their new offices, there was evidence of shredded documents, and all the computer hard drives had been removed.

Lockyer has his own quirks, though they don't seem quite as sinister.

The AG boasts that he's never eaten green vegetables as an adult and lives on junk food. That certainly seemed true at a recent hearing, where he was spied lapping up a soft-serve ice cream cone. Audience members are prohibited from eating or drinking in the committee rooms, but apparently when you're the state's top law enforcement officer, you make your own rules.

Bill bashing

When it comes to new laws, one person's godsend is someone else's nightmare. As evidence, we submit ``The 10 Worst Bills,'' a list compiled by the California Chamber of Commerce and distributed to small-business owners who met in Sacramento last week.

The chamber's Assembly Bill hit list: AB 60, which restores overtime after eight hours of work. AB 633, which permits private suits for labor law violations. AB 858, which prohibits merchants from asking customers to waive their rights. AB 1127, which extends the deadline for filing complaints with OSHA.

On the state Senate side: SB 71, which allows lawsuits against HMOs. SB 115, which extends environmental reports to include the impact on ethnic and low-income populations. SB 320, which calls for an increase in workers' compensation benefits. SB 546, which increases unemployment benefits - and taxes. SB 755, which puts more teeth in the California Environmental Quality Act. And SB 1149, which expands family care leaves to more workers.

Wondering about labor's 10 Best Bills? See above.

Bills to watch

AB 1471, by Assemblywoman Sally Havice, D-Cerritos, would prohibit installing spent air bags in vehicles. Havice says some body shops encase old air bags in a new cover and install them for about $50, but the devices are duds and a safety hazard.

AB 1594, by Assemblyman Dean Florez, D-Shafter, would require children to be vaccinated against hepatitis A before enrolling in kindergarten.