Now What?: August

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Here We Go Again? Term Limits in Limbo as Changes Loom

By Melinda Eppler

For those of you who were too young or did not live around here or just didn’t care, in 1990, at a time of serious citizen revolt against government, ballot initiatives limiting the terms of state legislators were passed by voters in California, Colorado and Oklahoma. Subsequently, at least 18 other states adopted term limits. Californians didn’t see change until 1996, when the first term limits actually took effect. That year in California, 22 members of the Assembly were suddenly out of a job. Baring in mind that the impetus for this change was to put a policy in place to periodically shake things up – it’s surprising to hear that just nine years later a change might again be on the horizon.
    The governor’s office has been seriously negotiating with Democratic leadership over a change in term limits that would, again, vastly alter the political landscape locally — and statewide. A long list of legislators and others banking on a shift or upgrade in elected office are now faced with the following questions: What to do if
term limits remain the same? (Currently assemblymembers are allowed to serve three two-year terms and senators two four-year terms.) And what to do if they change? (Allow assemblymembers and senators to serve 12 years in either house.) For example, assemblymembers could serve six two-year terms and senators could serve three four-year terms, or the 12 years could be interchangeable between each house.
    Take a look at the possible scenarios:
 
GOVERNOR
Continued...

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