On Tuesday's Ballot: Proposition 28, A Measure to Alter Term Limit Rules

In addition to a , a , and other state and federal races, Altadena voters will also be tasked on Tuesday with helping to decide Proposition 28--which would alter term limit rules for California legislators.

Proposition 28

First proposed in early 2011, Proposition 28 would alter the California State Constitution to increase the amount of time elected officials could serve in both the State Assembly and the State Senate, but reduce the overall time they could serve in the State Legislature.

Currently, elected officials are allowed to serve six years in the State Assembly and eight years in the State Senate. Should Proposition 28 pass, elected officials would be able to serve for 12 years in either office. However, the new rules would reduce the total amount of time elected officials could serve would be reduced from 14 years to 12. Essentially, elected officials would have 12 total years to serve in State Legislature, which they could divide between the two offices in any way they wished.

The terms limits of currently serving elected officials would not be impacted.

What They're Saying

Los Angeles - Capitol Journal

Proposed tweak to term limits makes eminent sense:

"So that's one problem: Legislators spend too much time plotting to occupy their next political perch.

An even bigger problem is that they don't hang around one legislative house long enough to gain the public policy expertise and legislating experience necessary to perform the quality work that complex California desperately demands.

Under Prop. 28, says Allan Zaremberg, president of the California Chamber of Commerce, "we will see [new] committee chairs in the Assembly who have more than 10 months of legislative experience .... who have the ability to learn the process, learn the politics and learn the policy. And that's good."

Fox and Hounds Daily

As Voters Understand that Prop. 28 Guts Term Limits, it’s Support is Dropping:

Despite the claim by proponents that lobbyists are empowered by the status quo, I find that the opposite is actually the case.  Proving my point, almost to a person, every lobbyist to whom I have spoken has said that they are hoping/praying/anxious that Proposition 28 passes.  That’s right, the lobbyists for the special interests want this — right now they all complain that before they can “get to know” (translation: influence) a politician, they are gone and are replaced with a new one.  That’s the point.  At some point the politicians “go native” and start becoming Sacramento’s representatives to the people, instead of the other way around.

Local Impact

While Prop. 28 would have no impact on existing term limits, it is instructive to look at how different rules might have affected existing local representatives.

Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada): He has served a total of six years in the State Legislature. His term ends in the fall, and he's eying a break from politics. If Prop 28 rules were in effect he would be eligible to run another six years and might well be on the ballot again this year.

Carol Liu: (D-Pasadena): Liu served the maximum six years in the State Assembly from 2000 to 2006, representing Altadena and other cities.  She then ran and won the local State Senate seat in 2008, and under current rules, can serve one more term (she is on the ballot on Tuesday).  If the Prop. 28 rules were in place in 2006, Liu might well have run again for an Assembly seat in 2006.  If those rules had been in place and she had still choosen to leave the Assembly for the State Senate, she would also not be eligible to run again this year as she has served 10 years in the Legislature, and a new term would give her 14.