Ohio senators ask legislature to seek Article V convention to impose congressional term limits

Senators Timken and Gavarone told the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee during a first hearing on Senate Joint Resolution 6 that the resolution would ask Congress to call a limited Article V convention to establish term limits for members of the U.S. Congress.

"Senate joint resolution 6 is very simple. It applies for a limited national convention of states only for the purpose of establishing term limits. That's it," Senator Timken said in sponsor testimony.

The resolution would "appeal to the United States Congress to call for an Article 5 convention for the limited purpose of establishing term limits for members of the United States Congress," Senator Gavarone said, citing public-opinion polling to argue for broad support.

Supporters told the committee they favor term limits to reduce long incumbencies and increase turnover. Senator Timken cited a Pew Research Center figure, saying, "87% of Americans support term limits," and argued limits would "move the power away from Washington and putting it back in the hands of the people." Senator Gavarone cited an Ohio poll from US Term Limits, saying roughly "78% of voters approve of a constitutional amendment to place term limits on members of Congress."

Committee members questioned whether the proposal would respect voters' choices and whether the causes of incumbent advantages are structural. Ranking Member Weinstein said he supports term limits in principle but noted voters frequently reelect incumbents: "...there essentially is, the voters are keep sending these folks back, to congress." Senator DeMora pressed sponsors on districting and competitiveness, arguing that "the statistics about members of the incumbent members of congress winning are really not because they're incumbents, it's because their districts are drawn," and that gerrymandering, not incumbency alone, limits competition in many districts.

Sponsors responded that the resolution is deliberately narrow in scope. "This resolution specifically narrows the scope of the convention to that single subject," Gavarone said, and both sponsors asserted that a sufficiently broad state demand historically pressures Congress to act before an Article V convention would occur.

Committee members also discussed practical questions raised by the sponsors, including whether a state-level voter referendum should be used instead of a legislative resolution. Senator DeMora suggested putting the question to voters; Timken replied that a voter-initiated ballot effort would be costly and that the interstate-resolution path is more efficient at forcing federal action.

The hearing contained only sponsor testimony and questions; no committee vote or formal action on SJR 6 was taken at the hearing. The chair closed the hearing after questions and responses.