LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge on Thursday approved the wording of a proposal to impose stricter term limits on legislators, clearing the way for supporters to try and put the measure on next year’s ballot.
The proposal certified by Rutledge would reduce the maximum amount of time lawmakers can serve in the Legislature from 16 years to 10. The proposal would limit lawmakers to three two-year terms in the House and two four-year terms in the Senate. It also would remove the Legislature’s ability to refer any changes in term limits to voters.
Rutledge’s approval clears the way for supporters to begin gathering the more than 84,000 signatures from registered voters needed to put the proposal on the 2016 ballot.
The proposal is in response to an amendment voters approved last year that eased legislative term limits. Opponents of that amendment, which was referred to voters by the Legislature, said it was misleading because it was included in a measure that also imposed new limits on lobbyist gifts to lawmakers and set up an independent commission to set elected officials’ salaries.
“We’re going to have an honest and true ballot title this time,” said Tim Jacob, spokesman for Restore Term Limits, the group behind the new proposed limits.
Jacob said the group planned to begin circulating petitions for the proposal soon, and was aiming to gather more than 120,000 signatures. Jacob said by taking away the Legislature’s ability to put term limits changes on the ballot, the proposal would head off any future attempts by lawmakers to ease the restrictions.
“We think that if the Legislature is going to fight the voters on this anymore, they need to get signatures just like regular citizens do,” he said.
Before last year’s amendment, lawmakers were limited to three two-year terms in the House and two four-year terms in the Senate. The amendment changed the limit to a total of 16 years in the House, Senate or a combination of both.
A sponsor of that amendment said he believed the new proposal was going too far, especially with the provision removing the Legislature’s ability to put term limits changes on the ballot.
“To actually undo what the people just voted on seems a little premature,” said Sen. Jon Woods, a Republican from Springdale “It doesn’t really make any sense.”
House Speaker Jeremy Gillam also opposed the proposal and said he expected there would be organized opposition to it.
“I think there’s a lot of issues with what they’re trying to do with this,” Gillam, a Republican from Judsonia. “I don’t think it’s beneficial for the citizens of Arkansas.”
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