State Sen. Ashburn proposes abolishing term limits

BARSTOW - Barstow's state senator is hoping changes to term limits that failed at the ballot box will be approved at the state house.

State Senator Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, is proposing an amendment to the state constituion to abolish term limits for state legislators starting in 2016, which would allow future lawmakers to run for re-election without restriction. Legislators currently serving would still be restricted but would be eligible to run again in 2016.

Ashburn said that current term limits allow special interests and committee staff members to build up too much power. Incumbents can build up experience that benefits the electorate, he said.

"Term limits are an artificial barrier to the right of the citizens to choose their representatives," Ashburn said. "Voters should be given the choice to elect who they want for as many terms as they want."

Under present rules, Assembly members are restricted to serving three two-year terms. Senators can serve two four-year terms.

Ashburn said that he thinks voters will approve of his proposal, although they rejected Proposition 93 in the Feb. 6 election. The proposition would have reduced the maximum term that legislators could serve in the Assembly or the Senate from 14 to 12 years but would have allowed all 12 years to be spent in one house. More than 56 percent of San Bernardino County voters rejected the measure. Ashburn said the proposition failed because voters viewed it as self-serving for incumbent legislators, part of the reason he proposed the amendment to take effect in 2016, he said.

In addition to abolishing term limits, Ashburn's proposal would create a 11-member citizens' panel to determine the boundaries of legislator's districts. The panel would appointed by a panel of retired judges. Currently, legislators vote on redistricting, something Ashburn said has contributed to the state budget crisis and fiscal mismanagement.

"Clearly California government is broken and is not functioning well," he said. "I'm offering a series of reforms to do what we are supposed to do: return power to the people."

The amendment would have to pass the Senate and Assembly by a two-thirds majority in order to take effect. A similar amendment passed the Senate last year but was not taken up by the Assembly.

Christina Lokke, spokeswoman for California Common Cause, which advocates election reform, said her group has not taken a position on Ashburn's proposal but will study it. She said the group favors fewer restrictions on term limits. Lokke said redistricting is a bigger cause for concern for voters because it allows legislators to influence which voters are in which districts, giving additional power to special interests, she said.

"It's a huge conflict of interest having legislators choose their representatives," she said.

She said her group would rather see redistricting managed by an independent body which sets boundaries along city, county and community lines.

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