Election panel considers term limit changes

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The House Elections Committee on Tuesday considered separate proposals to amend the Missouri Constitution that would loosen term limits for lawmakers while imposing greater tenure restrictions on statewide elected officials.

One measure would extend legislative term limits from the eight years per chamber Missouri voters approved in 1992 to 12 years per chamber. State Rep. Gayle Kingery, R-Poplar Bluff, said the change would give lawmakers more time to build expertise and be more effective.

"I agree with term limits," Kingery said. "I would, however, like to modify them so they are more workable."

Kingery's measure would also double the length of terms for state representatives to four years, the same as state senators. In 2008, representatives from odd-numbered districts would be elected to four-year terms while those from even-numbered districts would get traditional two-year terms. The latter group would stand for the expanded terms in 2010.

Under the current system, half of the Senate's 34 seats and all 163 House seats are up for election every two years. Once fully implemented, Kingery's measure would follow existing Senate practice and also stagger House turnover.

State Rep. Margaret Donnelly, D-St. Louis, noted one reason representatives have short terms is that the much larger House is intended to be more accountable to voters than the Senate and subject to more frequent turnover in membership.

"We have not abandoned the tradition that the House needs to be the more responsive body to the people," Donnelly said.

While acknowledging the two-year term is the uniform standard for lower chambers throughout the nation, Kingery said such brief terms have become outdated. As it is now, Kingery said representatives spend the first year of their term legislating and the second running for office.

"If we had four-year terms, we could have three years when we are effective and efficient and then only one year when we are in campaign mode," Kingery said.

In order to maintain differences between the two chambers, Kingery said he is willing to consider lengthening Senate terms to six years.

The Missouri League of Women Voters supports the portion of the proposal that would extend term limits but took no position on longer terms.

The league, however, opposes the companion measure to impose limits of two four-year terms on all statewide officeholders.

"We feel term limits restrict the rights of voters to choose candidates," said Nancy Copenhaver, a lobbyist for the group.

At present, executive branch term limits apply only to the governor and state treasurer. State Rep. Jason Brown, R-Platte City, said the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor and attorney general also should be subject to service caps.

"If it is good for two of the statewide officeholders, it is good for all of the statewide officeholders," Brown said.

While lawmakers commonly served for decades until the imposition of legislative term limits, lengthy executive branch tenure is a rarity. Since Missouri became a state in 1821, only 16 statewide officeholders have held the same post for more than eight years. That select group includes James Monroe Siebert of Cape Girardeau, a Democrat who was state auditor from 1889 to 1901. Siebert's three terms as auditor followed a single term as state treasurer.

Democrat James C. Kirkpatrick holds the record for tenure in one executive branch office having served 20 years as secretary of state from 1965 to 1985. Attorney General Jay Nixon, a Democrat, is the only statewide incumbent to hold office for more than eight years. Nixon began his fourth term in January.

If the proposed term limits amendments clear the state legislature, they would go on the November 2006 ballot for voter consideration.

The measures are HJR 7 (Kingery) and HJR 14 (Brown).

mpowers@semissourian.com

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