CAPITOL NOTEBOOK; HERE-AND-GONE MEMBERSHIP STUNS AG BOARD.

Byline: Terri Hardy and Dorothy Korber

SOMETIMES you just have to make do.

But the stopgap machinations being employed by the Davis administration while many of the 3,000 state appointments go wanting seemed to reach a new high - or low, depending on your point of view - at a recent session of the Agricultural Labor Relations Board.

Because Gov. Gray Davis failed to make the necessary three appointments to the board, the group was without a quorum for a critical meeting - or so the staff thought. Suddenly, as if by magic, three new board members appeared, one who had just come from being sworn in at the Secretary of State's Office.

More surprise followed when the three new members introduced themselves.

Turns out that all were high-level Davis staffers, who, in order to meet state requirements, had to resign their positions to take over as new board members.

Thank Tal Finney, senior assistant to the governor and director of policy, Robert Shuman, deputy legal affairs secretary, and Bobbie Metzger, a member of the governor's transition team, for saving the day and the meeting.

What agricultural relations board officials didn't know, until they read it next day in The Sacramento Bee, was that their new board members resigned and immediately went back to their old posts after the meeting adjourned.

A meeting that was supposed to be held last week was canceled, and there is no indication when the positions will be filled.

Norma Turner, counsel for the agricultural board since 1975, said the group has at times been without the necessary members for a quorum. ``That I've seen,'' Turner said. ``But in all that time, I've never seen anything like this.''

Bank on it

Those fees some banks sock you with when you use their automatic teller machines will be banned if state Sen. Betty Karnette has her way. The Long Beach Democrat has introduced a bill, SB 270, that would end the surcharges levied when you use an ATM at a bank other than your own.

``ATM surcharges are excessive and gouge consumers,'' Karnette said. She added that the cost of using automatic tellers is already covered by fees banks pay to each other and to the ATM network.

``The fact of the matter is that these extra fees are pure profit for big banks,'' Karnette said.

Consumers Union and other consumer advocates support Karnette's measure, but she expects heavy opposition from the banking industry.

Strange bedfellows

In the new edition of the annual guide it publishes for its members, the California Chamber of Commerce offers this nugget of politically correct advice for dealing with legislators: ``If he/she is running for re-election and if you believe he/she deserves it, give him/her your support. He/she needs workers and financial supporters.''

No doubt, he/she can use all the help he/she can get!

Actually, gender silliness aside, the state chamber does give its members some useful tips in handling legislators. On the telephone, for example:

``Ask to speak directly to the legislator,'' the guide suggests. Identify yourself and mention the name of your company. State the reason for the call - use bill numbers when possible. Discuss only one issue per telephone call. Request a specific action. Be friendly and respectful.

Do all that and he/she may actually listen to you/you.

Bills to watch

State Sen. Tom Hayden, D-Los Angeles, has introduced SB 79, which would change the ``three strikes'' law by disqualifying nonviolent crimes as third strikes requiring a life sentence. . . . Sen. W.J. ``Pete'' Knight, R-Palmdale, and Assemblyman George Runner, R-Lancaster, are pushing for a headlight safety program along Highway 138 through the Antelope Valley because of the large number of fatal crashes and head-on collisions there in recent years. . . . Assemblyman Ken Maddox, R-Garden Grove, has introduced AB 267, which would require all convicted felons to provide a DNA sample to the Department of Justice, creating a genetic ``fingerprint'' to keep on file.

And from the office of Assemblyman Thomas ``Rico'' Oller, R-Roseville, which issues the most colorful news releases we've ever read, a bill that would require every DMV office to assign an employee to assist customers who are standing in line, hopefully to shorten queues.

Oller's press release says: ``You've been in line at the DMV for what seems like hours, you finally reach a window only to be told you've either been waiting in the wrong line or don't have the necessary documents to conduct your transaction. If only someone had told you before you wasted your lunch hour. . . .''