Gov. Matt Blunt's former Chief of Staff Ed Martin is asking Missouri lawmakers to put a constitutional amendment on the 2010 ballot that would implement term limits for statewide elected officials.
Martin, who is heading a Term Limits for Missouri group, filed paperwork with the Secretary of State's office Monday. The proposed amendment would limit statewide officeholders to serving a total of eight years, or two terms.
Right now, only the Governor and Treasurer are limited to a total of two terms of four years. All state lawmakers are limited to a total of eight years. The Auditor, Attorney General and Lt. Governor can serve without limit.
"The most recent example of statewide elected office extending for far longer than eight years is Attorney General Jay Nixon who served for 16 years as attorney general," reads the release from Term Limits for Missouri.
Martin, who is heading a Term Limits for Missouri group, filed paperwork with the Secretary of State's office Monday. The proposed amendment would limit statewide officeholders to serving a total of eight years, or two terms.
Right now, only the Governor and Treasurer are limited to a total of two terms of four years. All state lawmakers are limited to a total of eight years. The Auditor, Attorney General and Lt. Governor can serve without limit.
"The most recent example of statewide elected office extending for far longer than eight years is Attorney General Jay Nixon who served for 16 years as attorney general," reads the release from Term Limits for Missouri.
"Missourians have been clear: they want their elected officials to serve a limited time in office." said Term Limits for Missouri President Ed Martin. "Missourians recognize that too much time in office leads to complacency and, too often, to corruption. Term limits guarantee that new citizens will serve in every elected position of state government at least every eight years. It's better for democracy to have citizen elected officials not bureaucrats who stay in office for decades," Martin said.
Martin wants the legislature to put the issue on the ballot, but said that if they do not, his group will gather signatures to put the issue on the 2010 ballot.
2 comments:
as a st louisan, i am greatful for what ed martin did as the head of our board of elections, but since that time he seems to have gone wacko. first with email-gate and now with this ridiculous plan to rob missouri of experienced officeholders. it is bad enough that we've had brain-drain in the legislature due to short-sighted term limits. we don't need further lunacy.
http://truman.missouri.edu/uploads/Publications/2-2007%20Term%20Limits%20&%20Tenure%20(2007).pdf
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