Government and Politics

Term Limits Still An Issue In States

Although much of the steam behind the push for congressional term limits has dissipated, the movement is still very much alive at state and local levels, according to observers.

  • Forty states now limit the terms of their governors, and 20 restrict the number of terms state legislators may serve.

  • Only Arkansas, South Dakota and Wyoming have no localities with term limits.

  • Initiatives to limit state legislative terms are being prepared for 1998 ballots in Alaska, Massachusetts, Mississippi and Nebraska.

  • In seven other states, efforts are underway to encourage congressional candidates to limit their own terms.

Self-imposed limits would get around some of the adverse court rulings that have weakened the term limits movement, according to advocates. A federal appeals court struck down California's limit on legislative terms last week and the Supreme Court has ruled that mandatory limits on congressional terms require a constitutional amendment.

Source: Jessica Lee, "Push for Term Limits Still Alive at State, Local Levels," USA Today, October 15, 1997.

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