LEAVE MISSOURI'S LEGISLATIVE TERM LIMITS ALONE

When Missouri voters adopted term limits for state legislators a few years ago, they did it to break the stranglehold veteran officeholders in key leadership positions have on lawmaking in this state.

Now, as some legislators with 30-plus years of tenure face forced retirement, the effort to undo term limits is heating up. The Missouri Senate last week sent a measure to the House that would change the restrictions on legislative terms, in effect allowing ambitious officeholders to stay in office for life as long as they switched periodically between the two chambers.

The voters got it right the first time. Term limits in state government serve the best interests of the people rather than the best interests of politicians. State representatives would do well to stick to the wishes of voters who have already spoken on term limits.