Yesterday I asked for input from FlashReport readers on the issue of term limits and potentially revising our state’s legislative term limits laws (right now there is a limit of two four-year terms in the Senate, and three two-year terms in the Assembly).
As of this morning, I have had 194 FR readers write to me with their opinions on whether term limits is working or not and whether they would advocate changes.
Overwhelmingly FlashReport readers do NOT want to see a change in term limits, and believe that they have been a good thing for California. Which is interesting because the common-speak among Capitol insiders is that they feel that term limits has turned out to be horrible public policy – leading to legislators perpetually focused on their next elective office and to a loss of experience in the legislature.
A great many respondents also viewed the rhetoric around the need for extending terms or ending term limits as being self-serving proposals for members of the legislature who simply do not want to return to the private sector.
These responses underscores a huge challenge ahead for those who want to advocate for a change in the current laws – especially Republicans.
I did also get a number of well-written emails expressing why the status quo is not working, and some solutions for trying to fix it. And of course a few principled folks penned that term limits take away voter choice…
I’ll be writing more about this later this week!
In the meantime, you can enjoy reading today about big campaign fundraising event that New York Senator Hillary Clinton headlines for Phil "I’ve never met a tax I didn’t want to increase" Angelides. She appeared for him in the heart of liberal San Francisco, where Angelides also pledged to sign into law a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.
If you haven’t been following the flap where Angelides’ campaign actually threw out a comparison between Arnold Schwarzenegger and the leader of North Korea, Kim Il Jong, well make sure you read more about it on the FR Weblog.
On Monday we’ll be featuring a piece from Congressman Dana Rohrabacher on his participation in the recent Congressional hearing on Immigration that took place in San Diego County, and on Tuesday — well, you won’t believe what was funded to the tune of millions of dollars in the California State Budget this year. It will make you ill, and mad!
Have a great day!
Jon