Voters May Have Their Say On Term Limits

Idaho voters might get a chance in November to declare if they want to keep the term limits law they approved by initiative in 1994.

After a closed-door party caucus, the 59-member Republican majority in the House favors placing an advisory vote on the next general election ballot.

“We decided there is enough interest to put it on the ballot,” said Caucus Chairman Rep. John Tippets, R-Bennington.

Voters would be asked if, since the term limits law cannot be applied to members of Congress, it should be repealed for other public officials.

Shortly after Idaho approved term limits by a 266,118-to-210,448 vote in 1994, courts declared that they could not be applied to members of Congress.

An advisory vote would be just that. It would take subsequent action by the Legislature to change the current laws forcing public officials out after a certain number of years or terms. Those laws won’t impact current officeholders until 2002.