Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 21, 1994                   TAG: 9406240034
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Baltimore Sun NOTE: below
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                 LENGTH: Short

HIGH COURT TO DECIDE TERM LIMITS

The ``term limits'' movement, a spreading campaign that has capitalized on voters' deep discontent with politics, has lost two key battles in lower courts over limits on the terms a lawmaker may serve in the House or Senate.

Now, the highest court has agreed to decide the first major test case on the question. The Arkansas Supreme Court struck down a voter-approved state constitutional amendment that would limit House terms to three - that is, six years - and Senate terms to two - 12 years.

If the U.S. Supreme Court nullifies congressional term limits, states could not have such measures unless the Constitution were amended - an unlikely prospect.

If the Supreme Court upholds such measures, it likely would encourage a further spread of limits on Capitol Hill incumbents' service and could end the careers of scores of longtime Congress members.

Term-limits proposals have been very popular, gaining heavy margins of approval in the 15 states that now have them. Each measure was enacted by direct action of state voters. The movement promoting the idea describes itself as ``the most significant grass-roots political phenomenon of recent years.''

The Supreme Court's decision may not come until next spring, and thus will keep the constitutionality of term limits under a legal cloud in the meantime.