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Many states will feel the full effects of term limits in the 2000 elections. Eleven chambers in Arizona, Florida, Montana, Ohio and South Dakota will enforce term limits for the first time. Term limits will continue to be felt in the Arkansas House and in both chambers in California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan and Oregon. In some states, almost half of the legislators will be affected by term limits. For example, in Florida, 66 of 160 members (41%) and in Ohio, 49 of 132 members (40%) will be
term limited. A total of 378 legislators in 12 states will be ineligible to run in 2000. As the reality of term limits hits, their usefulness will be tested in legislatures across the states. Term limits move increased responsibility for innovative policy making into the hands of less seasoned leaders. With shorter terms, state legislators will move into leadership positions more quickly.
Term limits can create pitfalls for the legislative process. Consider:
- Term limits increase the power of the Executive and the lobbyists because they become the repository of institutional memory.
- Since term-limited legislators feel they have less time to shepherd ideas over the course of several terms, they are less inclined to get involved in complex issues that require long-term advocacy strategies. Instead, due to time constraints, legislators push for their own legislation.
However, some states have begun to reverse the trend toward term limits. Proposals to limit the terms of state legislators have been the subject of public policy debate since 1990, when citizen initiatives were passed by voters in California, Colorado and
Oklahoma. Subsequently, 18 other states adopted term limits but in three—Nebraska, Massachusetts and Washington—term limits were thrown out by the state Supreme Court. Term limits currently in effect for legislators and other elected officials. The final outcome of pending litigation could reduce the number of term limit states further.
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