Proposition 93

Term Limits

Support
 

Assembly Speaker, Fabian Nunez
California Teachers Association
California Small Business Roundtable
Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
SEIU State Council

Oppose
 

California Insurance Commissioner- Steve Poizner

Background
 

The state’s voters passed Proposition 140 at the November 1990 election. Proposition 140 changed the State Constitution to create term limits for the Legislature. Currently, an individual generally cannot serve a total of more than 14 years in the Legislature. An individual’s service is restricted to six years in the Assembly (three two-year terms) and eight years in the Senate (two four-year terms).
 

Summary
 

Under this measure, an individual could serve a total of 12 years in the Legislature. Unlike the current system, these years could be served without regard to whether they were in the Assembly or Senate.
In other words, an individual could serve six two-year terms in the Assembly, three four-year terms in the Senate, or some combination of terms in both houses.
 

Under this measure, existing Members of the Legislature could serve up to a total of 12 years in their current legislative house (regardless of how many years were already served in the other house). This could result in some current Members serving longer than 14 years in the Legislature.

Pros

 

Important state policy issues are more effectively addressed over the long-term. Allowing legislators to serve their entire 12 years in one house of the State Legislature makes that possible.

With time to specialize, legislators can better perform their crucial duty of providing checks and balances to the executive branch and state bureaucracy. Over time, this builds deep knowledge of the inner-workings of state agencies. This is the best way for legislators to ensure your tax dollars are well spent.

Proposition 93 will reform term limits to reduce partisanship by slowing the constant campaign cycle that exists now. Termed-out legislators start campaigning early to win a seat in the other house. Less campaigning empowers legislators to work more effectively together across partisan lines.

Cons

 

The current legislature has made promises to reform redistricting once term-limits passes, but there is no guarantee.

This measure has the ability to keep the current leadership in office for another 14 years. And, if redistricting does not pass, that will likely be the case.

 

Contact Kerri Ginis, the Chamber's Government Affairs Manager for more information at (559) 495-4818 or kginis@fresnochamber.com