A passion for the oddball

From walking elephants and banning light bulbs to legalizing suicide and recycling plastic bags, Van Nuys Assemblyman Lloyd Levine has championed some of the most controversial and offbeat issues in the Legislature. Harrison Sheppard profiles the Assembly member in today's Daily News.

Now in his third term and eyeing a state Senate run, Levine has gained a reputation as a passionate but oddball lawmaker - an energetic liberal who bounces from topic to topic and proposes out-of-the-box ideas that spark sharp reactions ranging from outrage to admiration.

This year Levine has proposed banning incandescent light bulbs; regulating the treatment of captive elephants, including using GPS monitoring to ensure they are walked at least five miles a day; and requiring pet owners to spay or neuter every dog and cat.

He also has reintroduced a bill that would legalize doctor-assisted suicide and touched on other measures, from the environment, energy and taxes to acupuncture, telecommunications and political debates.

Several of his more-controversial proposals, including light bulbs, elephants and assisted suicide, died in the Legislature recently, but the spay/neuter bill was approved in the Assembly and is now pending in the Senate.