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Senator Allen Clark outlines amendment to shorten legislative term limits to 12 years and restrict future term‑limit initiatives
Summary
Senator Allen Clark presented SDR 15 to change term limits from 16 years to 12 years total (House and Senate combined), convert lifetime limits to consecutive limits, grandfather current legislators and include language that would reserve future term‑limit changes to the legislature rather than citizen initiative.
Senator Allen Clark presented SDR 15 (term‑limits amendment) to the committee, saying it would reduce cumulative legislative term limits from 16 years to 12 years total across both chambers and convert lifetime limits into consecutive limits with a four‑year cooling‑off period. Clark said the measure would grandfather current legislators and begin the new limits for officials elected after Jan. 1, 2021.
Clark also described an amendment option that would remove the judiciary from term‑limit changes to improve the amendment’s chances of passage. "It reduces legislative term limits from 16 years to 12 years total, House and Senate," Clark said, explaining that consecutive (rather than lifetime) limits would allow experienced officials to run again after a set period.
Members questioned whether removing the judiciary alters the balance between branches and whether a 12‑year limit could reduce the pool of qualified attorneys in some districts. Senator Ballard and others said they preferred the resolution without the judiciary amendment, while some senators said 12 years could provide an acceptable balance between experience and turnover.
The committee ran short of time and adjourned to clear the room for the next scheduled meeting; senators said public comment and any pending amendments would be taken up at a later public hearing.
