Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: 14 states vote on term limits, expressing contempt of Hill Date: Tue, 3 Nov 92 15:19:55 EST Message-ID: \SE A;NATION \SS (WS) \HD 14 states vote on term limits, expressing contempt of Hill \BY Thomas Galvin \CR CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY In perhaps the clearest expression of resentment of Congress, voters in 14 states are considering initiatives that would limit the terms of their House members and senators. And if the polls are right, as many as 173 lawmakers - one-third of Congress - will come to Capitol Hill next year with newly adopted constraints on the length of their congressional service. Senators would be limited to 12 years; House limits range from six years to 12 years. In many cases, limits would also be placed on state offices. The states that will vote on term limits are Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming. None of the initiatives is retroactive, meaning that regardless of a member's past service, the clock would start ticking only when the 103rd Congress is sworn in Jan. 5. Colorado is the only state that now has a law to limit the terms of its federal lawmakers. Approved in 1990, it limits House and Senate members to 12 years of service. Whether the congressional limits take effect will probably be decided in court. House Speaker Thomas Foley, Washington Democrat, and other term limit opponents contend that the states cannot revise the basic qualifications for serving in Congress spelled out in the Constitution. But some legal scholars say the courts could uphold term limits because they have gone along with other state eligibility restrictions such as prohibiting convicted felons from holding office. After this election, term limit supporters will have to decide their next move. Fewer than half the states allow petition-inspired initiatives on the ballot. In the other states, state legislatures would have to be persuaded to put the measure on the ballot. With those limitations, proponents may decide to try to get Congress to approve a constitutional amendment setting national term limits. Forty-eight House members and senators seeking re-election, mostly Republicans, pledged to support term limits. Combined with the House freshman class of 120 to 150 members, many of whom endorsed term limits, the supporters could wield sizable clout. Members from states under a term limit mandate may also begin agitating for national limits on grounds of fairness. A lot depends on how the courts rule on the inevitable legal challenge, which is probably at least four years away. A court is unlikely to consider a suit against limits until they affect a member, which at the earliest would be 1998. With large turnover guaranteed in the House and the possibility of a new president like Bill Clinton who opposes term limits, the movement could lose momentum. "The argument for term limits will not be as valid on the heels of hundred-plus turnover" in the House, said Robert Katzmann, a visiting scholar at the University of Oregon. "That will take the steam out of the term limits movement to a certain extent." Mr. Katzmann said that if Mr. Clinton is elected, he could curry favor with Hill Democrats by vigorously fighting limits. * Distributed by Scripps Howard This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM