Arizona Term Limit Question (2010)
| Not on Ballot |
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| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The Arizona Term Limit Question did not appear on the November 2, 2010 ballot in the state of Arizona. The proposed question would have asked voters if the state Legislature should be limited to eight years in office, which was at the time, the current term limit imposed on lawmakers. Senator Carolyn Allen, who introduced the proposal, had stated that terms limits lead to officials being influenced by lobbyists due to lack of institutional knowledge.[1]
Path to the ballot
On March 1, 2010, the Arizona State Senate voted 18-11 to place the measure on the ballot, sending the measure to the Arizona House of Representatives for a vote on the matter. The Arizona House of Representatives planned to debate the issue on March 23, 2010 and gave preliminary passage of the amendment that same day. The measure did not make the ballot as legislative session ended on April 28, 2010.[2][3][4]
Opposition
The Arizona Republic supported the measure in an editorial published on March 4, 2010. The publication encouraged the Arizona House of Representatives to follow the lead of the Arizona State Senate and approve the measure to send it to the ballot. The editorial stated, "In the 18 years since they were adopted in Arizona, term limits have turned out to be more of a problem than a solution. There's a constant influx of newcomers, who barely learn the ropes before they're jockeying for leadership positions. By their fourth and last term, lawmakers have one eye on the next move in their political career." The newspaper again published an editorial in favor the measure on April 8, 2010, stating, "No one would field a baseball team that dumped experienced players, regardless of their performance, based on years played. No manager would want a team weighted toward complete rookies. Term limits don't make any more sense for legislators, who must craft multibillion-dollar budgets and make decisions that impact all Arizonans for years," but also stated that voters should decide on the issue.[5][6]
See also
- Arizona 2010 ballot measures
- Arizona Legislature
- List of Arizona ballot measures
- Term limits ballot measures
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ KOLD.com, "Ariz. Senate votes to refer term limits to ballot," March 1, 2010
- ↑ Arizona Capitol Times, "House gives preliminary OK to 3 ballot measures," March 23, 2010
- ↑ KPHO.com, "Ariz. Senate Votes To Refer Term Limits To Ballot," March 1, 2010 (dead link)
- ↑ Arizona Capital Times, "Legislature sends nine referrals to ballot – initiative still coming," May 3, 2010
- ↑ Arizona Republic, "Voters need chance to get rid of failed law," March 4, 2010
- ↑ The Arizona Republic, "House should let voters have say on measure," April 8, 2010
