GIVE US MORE TERM LIMITS!
Oklahoma State Senator Mary Easley, D, Tulsa, has introduced a bill that will be considered in the upcoming legislative session. SJR #35 would reverse the results of the 1990 statewide ballot issue for legislative term limits. That referendum was approved by a 2 to 1 margin by Oklahoma voters. Easley believes Oklahoma citizens have changed their minds about term limits since 1990, but a 2001 poll conducted by The Oklahoman, showed that 82% of those polled supported term limits for their elected officials. And not all of Oklahoma’s State Senators agree with Easley.
Senator Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, is serving his final year in office. Laughlin was elected in 1996. The lawyer/pilot has been an effective conservative voice for Oklahoma. He says, “Term limits were overwhelmingly approved by the people, and they have been a wonderful thing for the Legislature and for the state of Oklahoma.” “Getting rid of term limits would be a very bad idea,” stated Laughlin, the Senate’s Republican floor leader. “I can’t think of a single good reason to repeal term limits,” Laughlin stated, “If anything, we need to look for ways to expand term limits to other office in our state.”
That’s exactly what James Dunn of Oklahoma City is trying to do. Dunn, the 2006 GOP nominee for AG, heads up an organization called, Yes on Term Limits officials.http://yesontermlimits.org/. Yes on Term Limits was formed last summer to explore the possibility of expanding term limits to secondary state officeholders. A Pulse Opinion Poll sponsored by YTL in July found that over 80% of Oklahomans support such a concept. According to Dunn, “Government is supposed to work for the people, not powerful special interests. Oklahoma has long supported term limits on elected officials.” Dunn goes on to say, “Yes on Term Limits is organizing a petition to amend Oklahoma’s State Constitution, placing a two term lifetime limit on these un-restricted statewide offices, which limits each office holder to 8 years in a seat.”
Currently in Oklahoma only the Governor and the legislature is term limited. Several powerful statewide offices are currently not term limited. These include: Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor, Superintendent of Public Education, Insurance Commissioner, and the Corporation Commissioners.
Term limits are a controversial subject, even among conservatives. Some argue that we have “term limits.” Citizens can vote out elected officials at the ballot box if we don’t like the job they’re doing and that’s “practical” term limits. They reason that good legislators and elected officials should not be forced out of office when their constituents want them to stay? The argument has validity, but when you consider that 97% of incumbents win elections, you realize its nearly impossible to “term limit” an incumbent. The power of incumbency is a huge advantage to the incumbent.
Some argue term limits “dumb down” the offices that are term limited. They claim public service is like any other vocation- experience is gained as tenure is gained. That’s the stance of Wayne State University Professor Marjorie Sarbaught-Thompson. She says the inexperience of the Michigan Legislature, caused by term limits, were the reason for the state government shutdown and the failure of the Michigan Legislature to pass a balanced budget on time this fall. “This is a perfect example of the lack of experience," said Sarbaugh-Thompson, author of the book, “The Poltical and Institutional Effects of Term Limits.” Perhaps that’s the case in Michigan, but in Oklahoma, term limits have been a good thing.
Last year’s Oklahoma Republican led State legislature cut the income tax rate, passed lawsuit reform (it was vetoed by the Guv), spent less money in 2007 than the previous year, passed the toughest immigratation law in the country, and pushed through a permanent increase in funding for the Teachers Retirement System.
In 2007, Oklahoma’s GOP led “inexpereinced” legislature placed the state budget online in a searchable database so the average citizen can see where tax dollars are being allocated and spent. They increased Medicaid payment rates to doctors, hospitals and nursing homes to ensure that thousands of Oklahomans who need it will have access to healthcare.
Because Dems were in control of our state for the first 96 years, term limits have benefited Republicans. Oklahomans grew tried of being 47th in per capita income, #13 in state burden, and #1 in divorce rate nationally. So in 2002, Oklahomans got sick of it and gave the GOP control of the State House. In 2006, Republicans matched the Dems in the State Senate. Easley’s desperate proposal to change the outcome of an election shows an arrogant out of touch attitude toward Oklahoma citizens. That is exactly the reason most Oklahomans don’t want lifelong representation and voted so overwhelmingly for term limits.
Term limits should be expanded in 2008 to include all statewide and county elected officials.
Oklahoma State Senator Mary Easley, D, Tulsa, has introduced a bill that will be considered in the upcoming legislative session. SJR #35 would reverse the results of the 1990 statewide ballot issue for legislative term limits. That referendum was approved by a 2 to 1 margin by Oklahoma voters. Easley believes Oklahoma citizens have changed their minds about term limits since 1990, but a 2001 poll conducted by The Oklahoman, showed that 82% of those polled supported term limits for their elected officials. And not all of Oklahoma’s State Senators agree with Easley.
Senator Owen Laughlin, R-Woodward, is serving his final year in office. Laughlin was elected in 1996. The lawyer/pilot has been an effective conservative voice for Oklahoma. He says, “Term limits were overwhelmingly approved by the people, and they have been a wonderful thing for the Legislature and for the state of Oklahoma.” “Getting rid of term limits would be a very bad idea,” stated Laughlin, the Senate’s Republican floor leader. “I can’t think of a single good reason to repeal term limits,” Laughlin stated, “If anything, we need to look for ways to expand term limits to other office in our state.”
That’s exactly what James Dunn of Oklahoma City is trying to do. Dunn, the 2006 GOP nominee for AG, heads up an organization called, Yes on Term Limits officials.http://yesontermlimits.org/. Yes on Term Limits was formed last summer to explore the possibility of expanding term limits to secondary state officeholders. A Pulse Opinion Poll sponsored by YTL in July found that over 80% of Oklahomans support such a concept. According to Dunn, “Government is supposed to work for the people, not powerful special interests. Oklahoma has long supported term limits on elected officials.” Dunn goes on to say, “Yes on Term Limits is organizing a petition to amend Oklahoma’s State Constitution, placing a two term lifetime limit on these un-restricted statewide offices, which limits each office holder to 8 years in a seat.”
Currently in Oklahoma only the Governor and the legislature is term limited. Several powerful statewide offices are currently not term limited. These include: Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor, Superintendent of Public Education, Insurance Commissioner, and the Corporation Commissioners.
Term limits are a controversial subject, even among conservatives. Some argue that we have “term limits.” Citizens can vote out elected officials at the ballot box if we don’t like the job they’re doing and that’s “practical” term limits. They reason that good legislators and elected officials should not be forced out of office when their constituents want them to stay? The argument has validity, but when you consider that 97% of incumbents win elections, you realize its nearly impossible to “term limit” an incumbent. The power of incumbency is a huge advantage to the incumbent.
Some argue term limits “dumb down” the offices that are term limited. They claim public service is like any other vocation- experience is gained as tenure is gained. That’s the stance of Wayne State University Professor Marjorie Sarbaught-Thompson. She says the inexperience of the Michigan Legislature, caused by term limits, were the reason for the state government shutdown and the failure of the Michigan Legislature to pass a balanced budget on time this fall. “This is a perfect example of the lack of experience," said Sarbaugh-Thompson, author of the book, “The Poltical and Institutional Effects of Term Limits.” Perhaps that’s the case in Michigan, but in Oklahoma, term limits have been a good thing.
Last year’s Oklahoma Republican led State legislature cut the income tax rate, passed lawsuit reform (it was vetoed by the Guv), spent less money in 2007 than the previous year, passed the toughest immigratation law in the country, and pushed through a permanent increase in funding for the Teachers Retirement System.
In 2007, Oklahoma’s GOP led “inexpereinced” legislature placed the state budget online in a searchable database so the average citizen can see where tax dollars are being allocated and spent. They increased Medicaid payment rates to doctors, hospitals and nursing homes to ensure that thousands of Oklahomans who need it will have access to healthcare.
Because Dems were in control of our state for the first 96 years, term limits have benefited Republicans. Oklahomans grew tried of being 47th in per capita income, #13 in state burden, and #1 in divorce rate nationally. So in 2002, Oklahomans got sick of it and gave the GOP control of the State House. In 2006, Republicans matched the Dems in the State Senate. Easley’s desperate proposal to change the outcome of an election shows an arrogant out of touch attitude toward Oklahoma citizens. That is exactly the reason most Oklahomans don’t want lifelong representation and voted so overwhelmingly for term limits.
Term limits should be expanded in 2008 to include all statewide and county elected officials.
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