Term Limits Fails in Committee

The Senate State Government Committee rejected, by a 2 to 9 vote, reporting John Eichelberger's constitutional amendment on legislative term limits, to the full Senate (Sen. Eichelberger discussed his proposal at our March luncheon).

This followed reporting a handful of other bills (including legislation to eliminate lame duck sessions and reducing the size of the General Assembly) often on the stated grounds of "moving the process forward to the full body", even if individual members did not support that legislation. This standard did not apply to term limits.

The Commonwealth Foundation, along with other organizations, called for reporting the bills before the committee in order to give the full Senate an opportunity to consider them, and to give them a full public airing. Two of the bills cited in our letter - on initiative and referendum and on redistricting - will be tabled to have committee hearing on.