Time for change
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ANR
Among the many bills proposed by Nebraska lawmakers during the first week of the 2023 session one stands out as a logical change that could impact the body itself.
Legislative Resolution 22CA, a constitutional amendment proposed by Norfolk Sen. Robert Dover, would allow lawmakers to serve a third consecutive four-year term, potentially adding four years to any one senator’s tenure in office. Not surprisingly, this proposal has drawn early support from lawmakers and hopefully will find its way on to the 2024 general election ballot.
Term limits were a hot topic back in 2000 when Nebraska voters approved Initiative 415 by a 56-44 margin. Though the proposal didn’t say it in so many words, the motive for many at that time was to force long-time Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers, a controversial figure who often used the rules to his advantage, out of office. The plan worked, though Chambers was elected for a second run and returned to the Capitol for two more terms after sitting out a spell, before being term-limited out a second time.
Other senators took that same path back to Lincoln after being term-limited out, but for the most part the change did what it set out to do, prohibiting anyone from taking up permanent residence in the legislature.
Over time, however, the two-term limit proved limiting in other, perhaps unintended ways, severely impacting lawmakers’ ability to get things done. Former Dist. 34 Sen. Curt Friesen was a strong advocate for expanding the limit from two to three terms, voicing very specific rationale which could only come from experience.
The problem with a two-term limit, Friesen said as he left office in December, is that it takes time for lawmakers to find their footing in Lincoln, adding that complex issues like property tax relief require years of patience and compromise. The make-up of senators changes drastically every two years, which makes it more difficult to establish trust and relationships with fellow senators vital to those long-term negotiations.
Committee leadership has also proven to be more daunting over time as lawmakers have no choice but to get up to speed quickly. Dover said new senators find themselves “drinking from a fire hose” as they seek to learn how the unicameral system works, thus it is asking a lot, perhaps too much, to add the burden of committee leadership within the first two or three years.
The concept of term limits does have merit, which we’ve seen play out in Washington DC. Too many have become so entrenched in Congress that they build up political clout and partisan support which creates an unfair advantage at the polls.
There is little if any support at the federal level to change those rules, though here in Nebraska common sense would suggest that three four-year terms in the legislature makes sense for all concerned.
Kurt Johnson
