REVISE LEGISLATIVE TERM LIMITS

& REQUIRE BUDGET TO BE DONE BY JULY 1

House Joint Resolution EEE

Sponsor:  Rep. Richard LeBlanc

Committee:  Judiciary

Complete to 5-25-10

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION EEE AS INTRODUCED 5-4-10

House Joint Resolution EEE would amend the State Constitution to require certain budget bills to be enacted before July 1 of each year; require legislators, the governor, and the lieutenant governor to forfeit pay if the budget bills are not presented or signed by that date; and revise the current legislative term limits so as to limit the service of legislators to no more than 14 years (House and/or Senate combined). 

The joint resolution would amend Sections 31 and 54 of Article IV of the State Constitution and also add Section 55 to Article IV.  The proposal would require voter approval; as introduced, the resolution is to be submitted to voters at a special election to be held at the same time as the 2010 August regular election.

Budget Bills

The proposal would require the Legislature to present to the governor, and require the governor to sign, all general appropriation bills for the succeeding fiscal period on or before July 1 of each year.

Forfeiture of Compensation

A new section (Sec. 55) would require that each legislator forfeit his or her salary for each day after July 1 that all general appropriation bills have not been presented to the governor.  The governor and lieutenant governor would forfeit their salary for each day after that date that all the general appropriation bills have not been signed.

Maximum Years of Service for Legislators

Currently, a person can serve no more than three two-year terms in the state House of Representatives and/or two four-year terms in the state Senate.  Instead, the proposal would limit the years of service in the Legislature to a combined total of 14 years.  A person who held office for one day or more within a calendar year would be considered to have served the entire calendar year.  A person would not be eligible to serve as a state representative or senator unless he or she were eligible to serve the entire term of that office under the 14-year limit.  (For instance, a person could not serve six terms, which would be 12 years, as a state representative and then run for office as a state senator because he or she would reach the 14-year maximum halfway through the senate term.)

FISCAL IMPACT:

With regard to the amendment requiring the Legislature to present to the governor and the governor to sign budget bills on or before July 1, there would be no fiscal impact.

 

With regard to the amendment changing the time a legislator could serve (representatives from 6 years to 14 years and senators from 8 years to 14 years), there would be no fiscal impact.

 

With regard to legislators forfeiting salaries for not having bills presented by July 1, there would be an indeterminate amount of savings to the state depending on the number of days salaries had to be forfeited.  Similarly, with regard to governor and lt. governor forfeiting salaries for not having bills signed by July 1, there would be an indeterminate amount of savings to the state which would depend on the number of days salaries had to be forfeited.

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   Susan Stutzky

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Robin Risko

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.