Term limits fall short of sales pitch

Term limits, it seems, are one of those not-so-hot ideas from the ‘90s, like sinking all your savings into dot.com stock or presidents dating interns.

At least that’s the conclusion of researchers for the National Council of State Legislators, who published a report last week that contends term limits make legislatures less effective by clearing out the experienced members, who know how things are organized, how committees are run and where the best deals for Happy Hour are.

OK, so the last one we made up, because this is a serious study. But you get the idea: Experience, good; newcomers bumbling their way through a session, bad.

“Instead of leveling the playing field between the legislative and executive branches, term limits have weakened the legislative branch in relation to executive power,” said Karl Kurtz, lead researcher for the study.

The study looked at six states with term limits and three without them. Neither Washington, which had term limits imposed by voters but thrown out by the courts, nor Idaho, which had its term limits take effect in 2004, were in the studied states.

One of the claims of term limits supporters was that the new laws would lead to more diversity among the people elected.

Researchers found no shift in the overall makeup of elected legislators in the term limits states – no significant increase in women or differences in ages or occupations. In a few states there was, however, an increase in Latino legislators in areas that have seen a rapid rise in Latino population.

While one could question the pure objectivity of a group which is, after all, made up of legislators, one thing seems clear: What Tom Foley said about term limits in 1994, and what George Nethercutt said about them in 2000, seems to have been right.

Turnout prediction

Secretary of State Sam Reed is predicting slightly more than a third of Washington’s voters will cast ballots in the September primary.

Reed came up with the estimate – 35 percent overall, with most of the ballots coming by mail – as the state gets ready for its last-ever September primary. Next year, remember, the primary is in August.

Gee, do you think the chance to vote one last time in September will lead to more people marking their ballots? Probably not.

Reed also mentioned something else that will bear repeating over the next month, that this is a “pick a party” primary. Those who go to the polls will have to ask for a Democratic or Republican ballot, or a nonpartisan ballot with just the ballot issues and nonpartisan races (like the judicial seats) on it.

The nonpartisan races will also appear on the Republican and Democratic ballots.

Spokane County voters, who vote by mail, will get separate Republican, Democratic and nonpartisan ballots sent to them.

Just pick one to mark and mail back.

Random observation

There were two very different “stand-ins” for the U.S. military in Spokane last week. The Peace and Justice Action League, Spokane Veterans for Peace and American Friends Service Committee had an exhibit called “Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War,” which featured 360 pairs of boots, one for each member of the National Guard who has died in Iraq.

The Peter Goldmark congressional campaign had a rally for veterans and their family members in Riverfront Park Friday, which featured 100 miniature American flags stuck in the ground, sort of in a circle, to represent all the U.S. military deployed around the world. Each flag represented 3,000 folks in uniform.

The two things aren’t connected. Just sort of interesting.

Catch the candidates

Monday: U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris at a Spokane business roundtable. 2 p.m., Red Lion at the Park.

Thursday: Spokane County candidates at League of Women Voters primary candidates forums. 5:30 p.m. county commissioner candidates; 6:30 p.m. assessor, prosecutor and sheriff candidates; 7:30 p.m. candidates for District Court positions 2 and 6. Spokane City Hall council chambers.

Friday: Democratic congressional candidate Peter Goldmark at a campaign rally. 7 p.m., Pavilion Park, Liberty Lake.

Saturday: Goldmark at the Colville Parade. 9 a.m.

Aug. 28: Spokane County sheriff candidates at a special meeting for Medical Lake SCOPE. 7 p.m., second floor, Medical Lake City Hall, 124 S. Lefevre.