From Ballotpedia
The
Alabama Term Limit Amendment may appear on the
November 2012 ballot in the state of
Alabama as a
legislatively-referred constitutional amendment. The measure would provide that no person be elected to state legislature for more than three consecutive terms. The measure also states that service in the state legislature prior to November 2010 would not disqualify a person from service if the proposal is sent to the ballot and passed by voters. The formal title of the measure is
Senate Bill 127[1]
Support
Supporters
Arguments
- In the letter sent to the state legislature from the Our Generation non-profit advocacy group, it stated, "Not only do term limits promote good government, voters overwhelmingly support them. In a survey that Our Generation administered to six million voters nationwide, 96.4 percent of respondents were in favor of term limits. The political culture in Alabama has shown it can produce corruption. Legislators should make changes that reflect their responsibility to serve the people and not their own interests. At a time when many Americans do not trust the government, elected officials should be pursuing policies that instill confidence, and offer solutions that foster a more representative democracy. Term limits accomplish both of these goals."[2]
Media endorsements
Support
- The Montgomery Advertiser: "Frankly, there is no clear indication that term limits would change anything drastically in the Alabama Legislature, especially with the longer years of service and no lifetime limits that Pittman's proposal allows. Still, this is an issue that the voters of Alabama should be able to decide. We urge members of the Legislature to put the issue on the ballot."[3]
Path to the ballot
Article XVIII of the Alabama Constitution says that it takes a three-fifths (60%) vote of the Alabama State Legislature to qualify an amendment for the ballot.
See also
References
