VOTER GUIDE
The dangers of Proposition 93
More time to seek career advancement, not experience
By Christopher Page
From the February 2008 Print Edition
On the February ballot for California is Proposition 93. It purports to reform term limits of the Legislature and allow lawmakers to gain more experience before being termed out. In actuality, it will only entrench career politicians and allow them to build up greater personal power in Sacramento. It will also give a few powerful party leaders more time at the top.
Almost 20 years ago, Californians passed Proposition 140. This set an upper limit of three terms in the Assembly and two terms in the Senate for each person who held office, meaning a 14-year term limit. It pushed out established politicians like Willie Brown, ensuring that new people could get into the Legislature. With Proposition 93, the big change is that legislators would be allowed to spend their entire elected time in one house. It would enforce a 12-year limit that can be served by six terms in the Assembly or three terms in the Senate.
The primary advantage to spending an entire elected career in one house of the Legislature is seniority. The most desirable committee chairmanships and other leadership positions go to people who have been serving in a chamber the longest. If this measure passes, politicians will have more time to work their way up the ladder of power and enjoy a longer stay at the top. They will have more time to familiarize themselves with how to use back-room deals to get ahead in their careers. All of this focus and energy that will be spent on advancing a career in Sacramento will be effort that could have gone to serving constituents or writing sensible legislation.
The supporters of Proposition 93 claim that the changes will bring more experience to the Legislature and make for more effective governing. The maximum time allowed in the Legislature is almost the same as before, changing from 14 to 12 years. The only major difference is that the current service must be divided between the two houses. This does not diminish experience. When lawmakers go from the Assembly to the Senate, they take their experience with them. Both houses work together on the same issues to forge the one set of laws that govern the state of California. If a person from the Assembly has a great passion and knowledge for environmental issues, when he is termed out and goes to the Senate he brings the experience with him.
The timing of this proposition is suspicious. The early February date for the presidential primary in California is unprecedented. It is also very convenient for current officeholders. Since this is not on the ballot in June with the legislative primaries as originally planned, 42 incumbents who would be termed out at the end of their current terms can run for re-election. Two of these beneficiaries are Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.
This is because of a loophole that benefits the sitting lawmakers. Those currently in office can continue service in their current house until they reach 12 years in that house. It is very convenient that this will allow current party leaders to stay in office longer then anyone could if they served all their time under the current system or the new one of Proposition 93.
While legislators are currently limited to 14 years, many serve less time then that. People termed out of the Assembly who want to win Senate seats have to compete within different district boundaries. Since there are only 40 Senate seats, as opposed to 80 Assembly seats, there is greater competition for them. Without this exposure to new voters, a legislator will never have to justify or defend his record to a different voter pool.
This proposition also sidesteps an aspect of the Legislature that is in desperate need of reform, the drawing of district lines. As it stands, politicians have gerrymandered their districts so that their seats are safe from party turnover. These safe districts coupled with longer terms to represent those districts will only entrench those who get elected. This will do nothing to ameliorate the condition of the legislature and only strengthens the establishment.
Proposition 93 is a bad idea. While it claims to reform term limits, it lets current legislators stay in office well past their current allowed time. It gives the party leaders more terms at the top and draws the attention of legislators away from their home districts and toward the politics of advancing their own careers in Sacramento. Vote No on Proposition 93 to stop this power grab.
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