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Term limits change gains initial approval

April 12, 2001
By: Aaron Cummins
State Capital Bureau

Missouri's Senate gave initial approval to a plan that will ask Missouri voters to reconsider their decision on legislative term limits.

Aaron Cummins has more from Jefferson City--

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The proposal would increase the limits to 12 consecutive years.

St. Louis County Senator John Loudon says that one word--"consecutive"-- opens a big loophole.

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Contents: Loudon says this "takes the lid off" term limits.

Loudon says he's not opposed to career politicians, but thinks it's too early to take the issue back to voters since just a few years ago Missourians overwhelmingly approved term limits.

But, supporters argue the experience and expertise lost because of limits far outweighs any benefits.

From the state capital, Aaron Cummins, KMOX-News.


Voters would be asked to reconsider their decision on term limits under a proposal given first-round approval by Missouri's Senate today/Thursday. Aaron Cummins has the story--

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The Senate plan would ask voters to increase the limit to twelve consecutive years in either chamber.

St. Louis City Democrat Patrick Dougherty...

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Contents: Dougherty says nothing can replace the experience and expertise lost through term limits.

Voters would get that opportunity on the April 2002 ballot-- just less than 10 years after Missourians overwhelmingly approved 8-year limits.

In Jefferson City, Aaron Cummins, KMOX-News.


70 percent of Missouri voters supported term limts in 1992. Now, some lawmakers want to give you the chance to change your mind. Aaron Cummins has the story from Jefferson City--

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Missouri's Senate gave initial approval to a plan that would ask voters to extend term limits from 8 years to 12 consecutive years.

St. Louis City Senator Patrick Dougherty supports the plan.

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Contents: Dougherty says public policy is not for wimps or inexperienced politicians and the current system of term limits fosters that atmosphere.

Dougherty says 12 year limits would solve that problem.

But, lawmakers that support term limits say it's too soon to ask voters to change their mind after voters so strongly approved the eight-year limits just about a decade ago.

From the state capital, Aaron Cummins, KMOX-News.


Missouri's Senate wants to see if you've changed your mind on an issue that could save some of their jobs. Aaron Cummins has the story from Jefferson City--

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The Senate gave initial approval to a plan to ask voters to reconsider term limits.

The proposal would change the limits from eight years total to twelve years consecutively.

St. Louis County Senator John Loudon says that means the twelve year limit is useless.

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Contents: Loudon says this opens up lifetime service for any lawmaker.

Missouri voters approved term limits by a nearly 3-to-1 margin in 1992.

If the law isn't changed, 24 of Missouri's 34 current senators will be ineligible to run by 2004.

From Jefferson City, Aaron Cummins, KMOX-News.