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Committee hears brief presentation of term-limits proposal (AR 11); drafting questions raised
Summary
A senator presented AR 11, a proposal to impose 12-year limits in either legislative chamber with a 10-year sit-out period; committee members questioned how census-year redistricting and staggered terms would interact with a 'hard' 12-year cap and asked for drafting clarifications.
A senator presented AR 11 to the Senate State Agencies Committee, proposing a 12-year limit in either legislative chamber with a requirement to sit out 10 years before serving again. The presenter described the measure as a simple approach to term limits intended to avoid broader proposals, including judicial limits.
During brief follow-up, members asked whether the draft accounted for staggered terms created after redistricting in census years (the sequence of 2-, 4- and 4-year terms that can occur after reapportionment). Members noted a potential drafting gap: in some census cycles a member might serve 4+4+2 = 10 years instead of 12 under the current phrasing, so the committee suggested clarifying whether the measure creates a strict 12-year cap or a practical maximum that could be lower in some cases. The presenter agreed the language may need editing for clarity.
Committee members indicated the bill was filed to give the committee a concrete text to examine and said they would return to it for detailed drafting and questions. The meeting adjourned without votes.
