{"id":2251962,"date":"2024-05-24T08:14:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T12:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-term-limits-are-actually-a-horrible-idea\/"},"modified":"2024-05-24T08:26:17","modified_gmt":"2024-05-24T12:26:17","slug":"why-term-limits-are-actually-a-horrible-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-term-limits-are-actually-a-horrible-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"The Downsides of Term Limits"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">10<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhy-term-limits-are-actually-a-horrible-idea%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2251962&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the ongoing debate on term limits for\u2063 elected officials, citing examples of challenges and outcomes. It outlines the impact of term limits in California, emphasizing how they have shifted power\u2063 dynamics and affected legislative oversight.\u2063 The text\u200b highlights experiences and consequences \u2062observed under term-limited scenarios, showcasing the complexities and\u2063 implications of such regulations.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>Limiting terms for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-to-return-campaign-donations-from-indicted-ex-official\/\" title=\"NYC Mayor Eric Adams to refund donations from indicted ex-official.\">elected officials remains<\/a> a popular item as a dysfunctional Congress \u2014 often mirrored at the state legislative level \u2014 tests voters\u2019 patience. The U.S. Term Limits website even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.termlimits.com\/118th-congress-pledge-signers\/\">lists about 125 federal lawmakers<\/a> as co-sponsors of legislation aimed at passing a constitutional amendment to limit terms in Congress.<\/p>\n<p>The argument is simple: Lawmakers overstay their time, becoming distant from those they serve and sometimes corrupt in the bargain.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-78122647\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-b4e6d20218baf9cc545ec58b1291fed1 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-b4e6d20218baf9cc545ec58b1291fed1\"><\/div>\n<p>Yet the ultimate term limit is an election. In the March Texas primary, of the 86 Republicans in Texas\u2019 150-member House of Representatives, 10 didn\u2019t run for reelection. Some of these representatives knew that Gov. Greg Abbott\u2019s drive to fill the House with public education reform allies would make reelection difficult. For many who did run, it did. Of the 76 who stood for renomination, <a href=\"https:\/\/results.texas-election.com\/landing-page\">nine lost their primaries outright and eight were forced into runoffs<\/a>, including the powerful speaker of the house. Thus, the 2024 turnover ranges from a low of 19 to a high of 27 of 86, assuming no surprises in November.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">California\u2019s Failed Example<\/h2>\n<p>In 1990, California voters <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/California_Proposition_140,_Term_Limits,_Legislature_Retirement_Benefits,_and_Legislative_Operating_Costs_Initiative_(1990)\">passed a proposition<\/a> with a narrow 52 percent majority that imposed term limits on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/saturdays-fun-fraud-facts-seven-unexplainable-results-that-reveal-democrats-didnt-even-try-to-hide-their-fraud\/\" title=\"Saturday's Fun Fraud Facts: Seven Unexplainable Results that Reveal Democrats Didn't Even Try to Hide Their Fraud\">state legislators<\/a>, eliminated pensions for lawmakers, and transferred the responsibility for setting their pay to a governor-appointed commission.<\/p>\n<p>The idea of limiting terms has roots in the early days of the American republic, but it wasn\u2019t until the 1990s that the movement saw substantial legislative success. When California became one of the first states to pass term limits for state legislators through Proposition 140, it set a precedent, and by 1996, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/about-state-legislatures\/the-term-limited-states\">20 states<\/a> had adopted similar measures for their legislatures. Since then, two more states have adopted term limits while in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/about-state-legislatures\/the-term-limited-states\">six states, they were repealed, two by the legislature and four by the courts.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>I was ambivalent about term limits back in 1990, as were many Californians. One of the main arguments for term limits then was that they would act to remove the highly effective and highly partisan speaker of the assembly, Willie Brown. Brown reigned as speaker from 1980 to 1995 \u2014 15 years with the gavel. There have been 13 speakers in the 29 years since then.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-6916a7c8180a1f4dafa42bfdfdb200d8 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-6916a7c8180a1f4dafa42bfdfdb200d8\"><\/div>\n<p>However, in the 34 years since California voters passed term limits, I\u2019ve seen how they\u2019ve weakened lawmakers\u2019 power while shifting that power to unelected bureaucrats in the executive branch and lobbyists representing labor unions, large corporations, and other special interest groups.<\/p>\n<p>California voters later modified the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/judge-orders-mission-viejo-to-pay-700000-in-legal-fees-for-term-limit-lawsuits\/\" title=\"Mission Viejo ordered to pay 0k in legal fees for term limit lawsuits by judge.\">term limit law<\/a>, passing <a href=\"https:\/\/lao.ca.gov\/ballot\/2012\/28_05_2012.aspx\">Proposition 28<\/a> in 2012, limiting total legislative service to 12 years. Prior to its passage, time in the assembly was limited to six years while service in the Senate was limited to eight years.<\/p>\n<p>During my tenure as a California state assemblyman from 2004 to 2010, I witnessed firsthand the detrimental shift in power dynamics caused by term limits. One glaring example was my investigation into the California Department of Parks and Recreation. I uncovered systematic abuse where some senior state employees arranged to live in state-owned housing while paying significantly below<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-city-giving-blacks-housing-for-theft-of-homes-to-build-highways\/\" title=\"California City Giving Blacks Housing for 'Theft' of Homes to Build Highways\">-market rents<\/a>. Some paid as little as $180 a month for houses that could fetch more than $3,000 a month on the open market.<\/p>\n<p>I presented my findings to the director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. Her response was telling; she reminded me that I had an expiration date as a legislator, implying that my efforts to ensure accountability would be short-lived. As it turned out, she was right. This encounter highlighted a critical flaw in term limits: Lawmakers are seen as temporary obstacles by entrenched bureaucrats, diminishing lawmakers\u2019 ability to conduct long-term oversight and demand accountability.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-211739c45aebb401f56729838ef8532e fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-211739c45aebb401f56729838ef8532e\"><\/div>\n<p>Despite the constraints of both term limits and being in the minority, I managed to pass AB 1708 in 2006, a bill requiring the state to account for the value of housing provided to employees as a benefit and to charge market-rate rents. However, the lack of sustained legislative oversight led to the law being ignored. Years later, the Los Angeles Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2020-12-11\/california-parks-workers-cheap-rent-nice-views\">reported<\/a> that the abuse of housing benefits continued unabated, confirming that the absence of experienced legislators weakened the enforcement of laws.<\/p>\n<p>The power vacuum created by term limits is often filled by lobbyists. With legislators cycling out of office every few years, lobbyists become the institutional memory and de facto policymakers. They possess the continuity and expertise that term-limited legislators lack, leading to disproportionate influence over the legislative process. This runs counter to the intent of our representative form of government, where the people invest their power in elected representatives.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Advantage of Experience<\/h2>\n<p>Comparing lawmaker turnover highlights the issue further. The Texas Legislature, while having no term limits, still experiences significant turnover but also benefits from having long-serving legislators who provide continuity and expertise. In contrast, California\u2019s term limits lead to higher turnover, with lawmakers often being pushed out of office due to term limits, thus lacking the continuity seen in states like Texas.<\/p>\n<p>Texas legislators can build experience over time despite turnover, which contrasts with California\u2019s enforced inexperience due to term limits.<\/p>\n<p>This is seen in the average tenure for members of the Texas House, approximately 7.5 years, while members of the Texas Senate average about 11 years. In contrast, in California, the average tenure in the Assembly is about 5.6 years, and in the state Senate, it\u2019s roughly 6.5 years\u200b\u200b.<\/p>\n<p>Experienced lawmakers are crucial for effective governance. They understand the intricacies of policy, maintain valuable relationships, and have the historical context necessary to hold bureaucrats accountable. Term limits disrupt this, leading to a cycle of inexperienced legislators who are less equipped to oversee complex governmental functions and more reliant on external actors \u2014 actors not beholden to the voters.<\/p>\n<p>The intent of term limits was to foster fresh perspectives and prevent career politicians. However, the reality has been an erosion of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pitrunners-press-supreme-court-to-strike-down-ban-on-puerto-rican-cockfighting\/\" title=\"Pitrunners Press Supreme Court To Strike Down Ban on Puerto Rican Cockfighting\">legislative power<\/a> and accountability, with bureaucrats and lobbyists filling the void. Further, in term-limited California, some half of term-limited lawmakers continue to make a career of politics, running for U.S. Congress or local office. Not only did Willie Brown get elected mayor, but Karen Bass, who served as speaker during some of the time I served in the legislature, later became a U.S. representative and is now mayor of Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<p>My experience as a California state assemblyman demonstrated the critical need for experienced lawmakers who can provide sustained oversight and ensure laws are enforced. It\u2019s time to reconsider term limits and their unintended consequences on governance and accountability.<\/p>\n<p>Term limits are best enforced by the voters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-70ff0bdcecaaf162974cca3d56589538 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-70ff0bdcecaaf162974cca3d56589538\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Term limits for elected officials are gaining traction amid frustration with a stagnant Congress and state legislatures. Over 125 federal lawmakers support a constitutional amendment to restrict terms, reflecting the growing push for change. The rationale is straightforward:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":563,"featured_media":2251963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Madison-Tea-Party-Sign.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2251962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Madison-Tea-Party-Sign.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2251962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/563"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2251962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2251962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2251963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2251962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2251962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2251962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}