by Karl Kurtz
A new report from the Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri concludes that term limits have had a negative effect on the independence and decision-making capability of the Missouri General Assembly. Here's a portion of the abstract:
Legislative term limits were approved by Missouri voters in 1992 and took full effect in the House in 2001 and in the Senate in 2003. This report...concludes that term limits has had a negative impact on the level of knowledge in the legislature, has changed but not reduced the influence of lobbyists, has created a new and non-legislative career orientation among legislators, and has weakened the General Assembly as a legislative body. Term limits, then, achieved none of the sponsors’ principal objectives and has significant negative consequences that were not anticipated by either supporters or opponents.
The author of the report, David Valentine, associate director of the school and a former research director for the Missouri Senate, has compiled a number of useful tables and charts that conclude:
- The average within-chamber tenure of Missouri legislators in 2011 is about what it was in the 1920s
- The tenure of legislative leaders, including the chairs of the appropriations committees, ranges from two to five years--about half of what it was before term limits.
- The loss of experienced members has resulted in a significant loss of institutional memory.
- The legislature has become a stepping stone for legislators who want to continue to have careers in politics. "If you're a political animal, you're already setting your sights on something else instead of focusing on your job and doing the work of your constituents," says former Rep. Patrick Naeger.
- Lobbyists have had to change how they operate but have adapted to the new environment.
The report is consistent with findings of other studies of the effects of term limits in various states.
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