Federal Court Upholds Michigan Term Limits Amendment

LANSING, MI — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the current status of Michigan's term limits under a constitutional amendment approved by voters nearly 30 years ago.

Judge Janet T. Neff of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan said in her ruling Wednesday that she dismissed the lawsuit in part because the constitutional claims put forth in the lawsuit were barred in light of a previous court decision or were otherwise without merit.

"Contrary to Plaintiffs’ allegations, the ballot language did not refer to the savings clause;
therefore, such language could not have “misled” voters about the proposal on which they were
voting," Neff said in her ruling. "The Court concludes that Plaintiffs’ argument to the contrary is merely speculative."

The lawsuit was filed by 10 former Democratic and Republican state legislators who sought to change the ballot initiative petition and ballot language that voters approved in 1992.

Michigan law allows state representatives to serve up to three two-year terms for a total of six years and state senators to serve two four-year terms for a total of eight years. Elected officials can serve in both houses for a total of 14 years in the Michigan Legislature.

“Michigan voters took action three decades ago to change our state constitution, and that amendment has now held up twice in a court of law,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement released Friday. “I appreciate the Court’s ruling and review of the case law on this matter, and while the legal challenges have failed, the Michigan Constitution – and term limits for our lawmakers – remain something voters can revisit and amend through lawful means as they deem appropriate.”