Prop. 28 will fix term limits

Those who study the workings of the State Legislature, as we do, know term limits as now constituted do more harm than good, especially in the 80-member Assembly.

Limited to just three two-year terms, Assembly members have just begun to learn their way around the Capitol when it’s time for them to leave office. Forced into constant campaign mode, they have little time to learn the intricacies of the system, much less tackle the long-term problems of the state.

Meanwhile, the people who wield real power are those there for the long haul—the lobbyists, aides, staffers and bureaucrats who, as the Los Angeles Times recently put it, “guard the expert knowledge of how to get things done and how to drag their feet.”

As it stands, about half the termed-out Assembly members go on to the Senate, where they can serve two terms for a total of eight years. That means their total time in the Legislature is 14 years.

Proposition 28 is a sensible reform that would establish a 12-year ceiling to a lawmaker’s stint in the Legislature. The time could be served in just one house, or any combination of 12 in the two houses.

It’s impossible to say exactly how it would work out, but the likelihood is that more Assembly members would stay put for longer than six years, giving them the experience and expertise—and time—they need to do their job well.

We’ve never supported term limits. They’re an emotional reaction to dissatisfaction with the legislative process and have had more negative than positive consequences. After all, voters already had the ability to limit lawmakers’ terms simply by voting them out of office.

That said, Proposition 28 will be an improvement, especially in the Assembly, and should be passed.