(photo: Wikimedia Commons)
The House-approved constitutional amendment that prohibits a governor from serving more than two consecutive terms is headed to the Senate floor. The Senate Governmental Affairs committee approved the measure on a party-line 5-3 vote, with Democrats voting against it. New Orleans Democratic Senator Royce Duplessis is not 100% behind term limits.
“I’ve always questioned if it’s truly democratic because, in essence, it does take away the ability for the people to decide,” Duplessis said.
There are Democrats concerned this legislation is aimed at John Bel Edwards, even though it would also apply to Republican Bobby Jindal. If it passes, neither would be allowed to run for governor again.
Chalmette Representative Michael Bayham says he authored the legislation in response to what happened with two governors who in the last 100 years served more than two terms, Earl K. Long and Edwin Edwards.
“Earl Long got committed to an insane asylum in his third term, and former Governor Edwards ended up serving four terms. He ended up going to a federal facility,” Bayham noted.
Under current law, governors may not serve more than two consecutive terms, but they can run for a third non-consecutive term after sitting out four years. Bayham likes new leaders and fresh ideas occupying the governor’s mansion.
“You see when a former governor gets in a race, what does that do to new candidates who don’t have a machine behind them, who don’t have $10-$20 million behind them? That keeps them from being able to run,” Bayham said.
Bayham says 9 other states have similar term limits. If the measure passes the Senate with a two-thirds vote, the proposed amendment will be placed on the November 3rd ballot.
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