Term limit repeal gaining support House, Senate favor sending referendum on policy to voters

AUGUSTA – Opponents of term limits for state lawmakers have won votes in both the House and Senate this week, though that is hardly the final word.

The House voted 85-60 Wednesday in favor of asking Maine voters to repeal term limits for lawmakers elected to a first term starting in 2006. The vote came a day after the Senate voted 21-14 in favor of the bill.

Gov. John Baldacci has said he would sign the bill because it would give voters final say. But it faces additional votes in the Legislature.

Maine’s voter-enacted term limits law went into effect in 1996. Under the law, all 186 state legislators, as well as the attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer and auditor, are limited to eight consecutive years on the job.

While the referendum would eliminate term limits for new lawmakers, it would not repeal them for incumbents or for the other state officials who are now covered by term limits.

Critics contend term limits have robbed the citizen Legislature of the institutional knowledge of senior lawmakers.

“The ones who are being hurt by term limits are not you and I but the people we represent,” Rep. Herbert Clark, D-Millinocket, told the House.

Clark served 16 years in the House before term limits kicked in. He then left the Legislature and was replaced by his son Joseph Clark, who was himself “termed out” last year, prompting his father to run again.

“Term limits have harmed the institution,” said Rep. Robert Daigle, R-Arundel. “It was a good experiment to try. It didn’t work.”

The bill’s opponents argued that Maine’s term-limits law allows “termed out” lawmakers to bounce back and forth between the House and Senate or run for their old seats after a brief hiatus, so the Legislature still has members who have been around for a long time.

“I oppose the Legislature trying to rid itself of term limits when the people are the ones who brought it about,” said Rep. Roderick Carr, R-Lincoln. “If the people are really concerned about this … then the people should be the ones who start the [repeal] process.”