CHARTER PANEL REVIEWING RIGHTS; NEW DRAFT WOULD DROP GUARANTEES ON ABORTION, WAGES, POLICE.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

Fearing it may jeopardize a broader effort to revamp city government, leaders of Los Angeles' elected Charter Reform Commission proposed a sanitized ``bill of rights'' Monday, dropping controversial rights to abortion, living wages and policing without excessive force.

Still stung by the public outcry to its original proposal for a far-reaching bill of rights, commissioners even proposed during a special public hearing in Tujunga to change the name of the charter section to ``Statement of Responsibilities and Limitations.''

Commissioner Bill Weinberger, an attorney, proposed the changes to prevent the bill of rights from becoming a lightning rod which would draw voter opposition to the whole package of charter reforms being drafted for next year's ballot.

``What I was just trying to do is take out some of the more controversial issues,'' Weinberger said. ``I'm in favor of reproductive autonomy, but at the same time I think it's not one of the issues people were clamoring for in terms of charter reform.''

The commission discussed the proposal but had not voted on it by late Monday night. Commissioner Dennis Zine, one of several commissioners who was girding for a fight to kill the original bill of rights, said he welcomed the proposal not to expand the City Charter into issues already covered by the state and federal constitutions.

``Abortion is not a city issue. It's a federal issue,'' Zine said. ``We don't need this charter to be very divisive. Abortion is a very controversial issue and one that would create division.''

Commission Chairman Erwin Chemerinsky, who drafted the original bill of rights, agreed to the softening of the document so that it now addresses general, mostly noncontroversial issues, including the right of residents to receive ``prompt, courteous and proper treatment'' by the city.

Chemerinsky, a constitutional law professor at the University of Southern California, said he can be persuaded that including the right to abortion is unnecessary and that ``it generates more controversy than it's worth.''

The proposed statement now says residents are entitled to equal protection of the law and equal opportunity, and that the city shall not discriminate.

The city ``shall act to foster diversity in its employment, contracting and educational and cultural activities,'' the statement says.

Weinberger removed from the document all references to the rights of ``reproductive autonomy'' and freedom of religion, press, assembly and speech.

The new statement also drops a previous right to ``adequate police protection'' that is ``respectful of the rights of all residents, including refraining from the excessive use of force.''

Zine, a Los Angeles Police Department sergeant, had objected to singling out the police for warnings against misconduct, so the new statement says all city employees shall treat residents with ``courtesy and respect.''

Also gone is a provision guaranteeing a ``living wage'' for city employees and contractors.

Also on Monday, commissioners heard a recommendation from one of its committees that disciplinary action imposed by the chief of police should be appealable to the city's Employee Relations Board.

That proposal strongly is opposed by Chief Bernard C. Parks as an erosion of his authority to manage his department, but the Police Protective League union, of which Zine is the director, has pressed for the change because of concern that Parks has been too quick to impose harsh discipline on officers.

Mayor Richard Riordan also put a new proposal on the table, recommending an increase in the number of top city positions exempt from civil service from 150 to at least 400 and possibly 800. The mayor says the plan would make more workers accountable to managers.