SENATE BILL REPORT

                            SB 5095

                    AS OF JANUARY 26, 1993

Brief Description:  Limiting terms of certain elected officials.

SPONSORS: Senator McCaslin

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Staff:  Barbara Howard (786‑7410)

Hearing Dates: January 29, 1993

BACKGROUND:

At the 1992 election, Washington voters approved Initiative 573, which established prospective term limitations for several state and federal elected officials.  In effect, an individual may not file for the same office that person has held, under the following conditions:

Governor, lieutenant governor, state senator, or U.S. senator, if the individual has served 8 of the previous 14 years;

State representative or U.S. representative if the individual has served 6 of the previous 12 years; or

Either state senator or state representative, if the individual has served in the state legislature for 14 of the previous 20 years, and either U.S. representative or U.S. senator, if the person has served in Congress for 14 of the previous 20 years.

The prohibition against filing for congressional office would not have taken effect unless at least nine other states adopted similar measures.  By the effective date of 1992 elections, 14 other states had adopted term limits for congressional service.

The provisions of the initiative did not apply to other statewide elected officials (Attorney General, Commissioner of Public Lands, Insurance Commissioner, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, and Superintendent of Public Instruction) or to local elected officials.

SUMMARY:

Other than the state officials affected by Initiative 537 (C 1, L 93), a state, judicial or local elected official is eligible to serve not more than 12 consecutive years in any position to which he or she was elected.  

A term served due to appointment does not count against the 12-year limit.  Persons who have reached the maximum term of service as of the effective date may serve one additional term.

"Local government" is defined to include municipal corporations, quasi-municipal corporations, special purpose districts, and local service districts.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested