Five Reasons to Repeal Term Limits

Senator Bond and I don’t agree on many things. But here’s one where we do: term limits. Bond said, “...term limits decimate the leadership of our General Assembly” and I agree. Here’s why:

1. Short terms mean more partisanship. There’s a lot of elbowing in the halls of the Capitol as lawmakers rush to make their mark. When philosopher John Locke described life without governance as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,” he was also defining conditions in a term-limited legislature. Restricted to eight years each in the House and Senate, many lawmakers feel the need to prove themselves quickly so they can move on to the senate or statewide office.
    
2. The B-Team is in charge and we wonder why we have such pathetic outcomes. Back in 2002 when the impact of term limits really kicked in, 73 of the 163 House members were forced out, along with 12 of the 34 senators. With the election of 2010, there’ll be another massive turnover. We think more experience is better when it comes to a doctor, surgeon, lawyer, or professor. So why do we insist that our lawmakers be novices?
    
3. We lose talented lawmakers and leaders too soon. In an attempt to root out those who stay for decades, we have thrown out the baby with the bath water. Today, with little institutional memory in government, lobbyists reign. Once upon a time, a legislator could invest some years becoming a budget specialist, an education or rules authority. No more. By the time a lawmaker is up to speed, it’s time to move on.
    
4. We already have term limits. Each election year we get a chance to “throw the bums out!” An election is a check on incumbency—an opportunity to reward good service or remove an inadequate member. Today a poor legislator doesn’t always get his/her comeuppance at the polls. Too often a challenger will decide to wait out the term-limited lawmaker rather than take on a costly race.
    
5. Limiting terms sounds better than it is. In 1992, 75% of Missouri’s electorate voted to curb a lawmaker’s years in office. Apparently, voters didn’t want the powerful to be too entrenched. Better a General Assembly that didn’t know what it was doing, then one that did. Like the schoolmaster, unable to determine the culprit, we punished the entire class.

While I can give reasons for dismantling term limits, I am enough of a realist to know it is not likely to happen anytime soon. California, South Dakota, and Maine tried to re-do their term limit laws and failed. The most we can hope for is a sensible extension of terms. But don’t hold your breath.