RUNNER IN CAPITOL : APPRENTICE ASSEMBLYMAN ON FAST TRACK.

Byline: Amy Collins Daily News Staff Writer

Two months into his job, Assemblyman George Runner has hit the ground, well, running.

Runner, R-Lancaster, has proposed legislation on body-piercing restrictions, adoption tax credits, drug sentencing and juvenile court reform.

``We're doing exactly what we said we'd do,'' said Runner, elected in November to replace W. J. ``Pete'' Knight, who snagged a seat in the state Senate. Runner's district covers the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys.

Assembly members are allowed to introduce no more than 30 bills per two-year session, and he already has introduced close to half that number.

``We're well ahead of the curve,'' said Runner's legislative director, Rick Van Nieuwburg. ``We're working like it's midsession.''

Runner, a former Lancaster mayor and Christian school administrator, said he's been able to act fast because he has an experienced staff and a clear agenda. ``I think we're probably working at a pretty good pace,'' Runner said in an interview by car phone Friday. ``These were all issues we wanted to address.''

The rapid housecleaning forced by term limits may be driving the agendas of the large freshman class, according to Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a political analyst at Claremont Graduate School Center for Politics and Policy.

``I'm not at all surprised that freshmen are running right out of the box, because they have to,'' Jeffe said.

The first term has traditionally been an education period for new legislators. ``But I don't know that there is that luxury any more,'' she said.

She called Runner's prolific authoring of bills ambitious for a freshman, but also said the definition of ``typical'' is changing because of the impacts of term limits.

Runner said he plans to push 18 to 20 bills this year, and he expects some will carry over to become two-year bills. In coming months, he plans to put forth bills on welfare reform, aerospace issues and school-construction funding.

On Friday, he was thrown into the national spotlight as networks picked up on the legislation he introduced Jan. 10 that would force minors to get permission from their parents before piercing their body parts. He rushed from TV interview to radio show, talking about a bill he wrote up within two weeks of getting a call from a constituent alarmed over her daughter's bellybutton ring.

Van Nieuwburg said the pace requires long hours of work. Runner and his staff get to the Capitol in the dark of morning and head home in the dark of night.

``I haven't seen the sun,'' Van Nieuwburg said. With no seniority and minority-party status, Runner got a small, windowless office.

Runner said he is also working to get a field office in the Santa Clarita Valley, where 40 percent of his constituency is located. If he gets the funding from the speaker's office, he will open an official field office. But if funding isn't approved for the computer network linked to the Assembly, Runner said he will still open a small office in the area.

RUNNER'S REFORMS

Highlights of legislation introduced by Assemblyman George Runner:

AB 26 Juvenile Justice Reform - Murder cases would be heard only in adult court, would establish an informal court for first-time nonviolent offenders, and would set public safety and punishment as policy goals for juvenile courts.

AB 85 Kindergarten Start Date - Instead of Dec. 2, the deadline would become Sept. 1 for turning 5 before being accepted into public kindergarten.

AB 99 Body-Piercing Consent - Juveniles would need parental consent before having their bodies pierced.

AB 119 Adoption Tax Credit - Would give a one-time $1,000 tax credit for each adopted minor child.

AB 141 Methamphetamine Sentencing - Sentencing for methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine use, sale and manufacturing would be made as severe as the penalty for using crack cocaine. It would be made a felony, punishable with up to five years in prison.

AB 149 Assault on Police Officer - Assaulting a peace officer would be consistently a felony.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

Photo: (Ran in SAC and AV--color) George Runner - Introduced more than a dozen bills

Box: (Ran in SAC and AV) RUNNER'S REFORMS (see text)