Editorial: Modest overhaul of term limits deserves a vote

Term limits remain enduringly popular with voters, but does anyone really think they've worked in the California Legislature?

Of course, the 1990 term limits initiative eventually ousted Assembly Speaker Willy Brown and other career pols of both parties, bringing a steady stream of new faces to the Legislature. So far so good.

But look at the state of the Golden State. Is there a smidgen of evidence that more "citizen-politicians" have made for a more effective Legislature? Given us better laws? Shaken off the influence of special interests?

On the contrary. Politicians come and go quicker than ever in Sacramento, but unions, corporations, lobbyists, activists and bureaucrats are forever. Everyone in the Capitol has room to take the long view except for the people's representatives.

We'd scrap term limits as an experiment gone bad, given the opportunity. In the meantime, the June 5 ballot offers a modest rejiggering of term limits that deserves voters' support.

Proposition 28 keeps a hard cap — indeed, harder than current law — on the maximum number of years a lawmaker may serve in Sacramento. At the same time, it allows for a bit more stability and institutional memory in each house of the Legislature.

How's that trick work? Under current law, Assembly members may serve three, two-year terms — for a total of six years. State senators get up to two, four-year terms — for a total of eight years. (Always, of course, with the voters' say-so.)

But nearly every Assembly member ultimately tries to jump to the Senate, hoping to serve a total of 14 years across the two houses. Dick Dickerson and Sam Aanestad did. Doug LaMalfa and Rick Keene did. Jim Nielsen has already announced his plans to run for LaMalfa's Senate seat on the expectation he'll win a ticket to Washington.

Term limits infuse fresh blood into the political system, to be sure, but they also create expensive rounds of musical chairs that often just move the same people to new offices.

Proposition 28 would reduce the motive to play that game and allow a hair more stability and long-term thinking in the Legislature. At the same time, politicians wouldn't turn into Sacramento lifers, re-elected until they're carried out of office feet first. It strikes a good, workable balance and is worth your vote.