AUGUSTA – The House took its first timid steps Thursday toward the political land mine of tinkering with term limits.

Debate started on a bill to call for a referendum vote to expand the current eight-year consecutive limit to a 12-year consecutive limit. The debate was quickly tabled when several problems were discovered in the referendum language.

But the brief discussion gave a clear indication of the distaste most House members have for term limits, and the heavy support for expanding the limit to 12 years as the first step toward rescinding the limit altogether.

The term limit bill was passed by a 68 percent margin in a 1993 citizen initiative referendum. Supporters of the bill Thursday said the term limit law was passed in reaction to the autocratic rule of House Speaker John Martin, not out of distaste for the quality of legislators.

Virtually every speaker Thursday expressed distaste for the term limit provision, which they said forces experienced legislators to the sidelines after four consecutive two-year terms, just when they’ve learned the ropes at the State House.

Isolated term limit supporters, such as two-term Rep. David G. Lemoine, D-Old Orchard Beach, asked, “Is there a problem?” He said the term limit law created a “terrific” freshman class, which has performed admirably.

“The people understand what they have done. They have voted to limit the power of leadership. They have voted for a fundamental change to make us more responsive to the people. This was a conscious decision by the people,” Lemoine said.

In a prepared statement, two-term Rep. Stavros Mendros, R- Lewiston, said, “I think that it is the height of hypocrisy for members of this Legislature to try to overturn the will of the people in an effort to extend the number of terms they can serve in office.”

An organizer of the term limit drive back in 1993, Rep. John M. Michael, an independent from Auburn, asked a rhetorical question about the margin of victory in that referendum. “He knows the answer well,” replied four-term veteran Rep. John Tuttle, a Sanford Democrat and the House chairman of the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee, which endorsed the current bill 12-1.

Term limits were established by a low voter turnout (236,517 voters) and have “not served the state well” by forcing veteran, experienced legislators out of the chamber, said Rep. Charles D. Fisher, D-Brewer, who is in his fourth term.

Three-term veteran Rep. Thomas Bull, D-Freeport, called term limits “unnecessary and destructive,” and he objected to extending the limit to 12 years as “prolonging the pain.” Bull said the best way to get rid of term limits is to leave it at eight years so “the people can realize the mistake they made” in passing the measure.

“My constituents, even those who voted for it, agree that term limits is a bad thing. It was passed by a very small group” because of the actions of Martin, said Rep. Edgar Wheeler, R-Bridgewater, who is serving his fourth term and supports having the voters decide again whether to increase the limit to 12 years.

It was an “outside organization” that came into Maine and pushed for term limits, said Rep. Paul D. Tessier, D-Fairfield, who is in his third term. “I don’t like outsiders deciding things for Maine. Let the people decide.”

Reps. Florence T. Young, R-Limestone, and Matthew Dunlap, D-Old Town, confessed that they voted for term limits in 1993 but have since changed their minds.

Young said she voted for term limits based on “hearsay.” Today she realizes the need for experienced legislators, she said, and supports asking voters to approve a 12-year limit. Dunlap now favors total repeal of term limits, but supported the referendum vote to expand to 12 years as “a step in the right direction.”