Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 28, 1995 TAG: 9508280100
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KIMBERLY N. MARTIN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
- Larry Payne, Roanoke
The background:
In Virginia, the term-limit debate appears to be a case of state politics imitating national ones, with Republicans on both fronts spearheading the campaign for change. Term limit advocates - who generally are political newcomers and Republicans - argue that term limits infuse the political system with new blood, by forcing career politicians to return to the areas they were elected to represent.
Last year, Republicans tackled the issue by placing it on their "Contract with America" campaign platform. Once those Republicans took over Congress this year, they held a floor vote on a constitutional amendment to limit the terms of members of Congress.
A majority in the House voted for the amendment but the vote fell short of the two-thirds majority necessary to send the measure on to the Senate.
However, unlike their national counterparts, Virginia's state legislators are part-time "citizen legislators" who continue to live in the communities that put them in office.
The General Assembly's role:
In Virginia, term limits would require an amendment to the state constitution. That means a majority of the assembly would have to vote to put the proposed amendment to a statewide referendum.
Plus, constitutional amendments must be approved by the legislature twice, with a House of Delegates election sandwiched in-between. For example, a resolution passed by the House and Senate in 1995 would have required approval again after November's election.
Last year, Del. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, proposed a term limits amendment. His resolution called for a maximum of 12 years of consecutive service in either the House or Senate - that's six terms for delegates and three for senators. But the resolution never made it to the House floor for a vote. It was killed in the Privileges and Elections Committee.
Newman, by the way, is now the Republican candidate for the state Senate seat that covers Bedford, Bedford County, Lynchburg and Amherst County.
The answers:
The question was directed to the candidates for the House of Delegates seat that covers Southeast Roanoke, Northeast Roanoke, part of Northwest Roanoke and the Peters Creek Road section of Roanoke County.
Del. Vic Thomas (D): ``Ninety people have turned over since I've been down there. I think we do have term limits. Every two years we come up, and voters can either vote us up or vote us down. ... It'll be up to the voters this time around to give me kind of a report card."
Jeff Artis (R): ``I'm for term limits," Artis says. As for how long, "that's up to the people to decide in an initiative and referendum.''
"If people want their legislators to serve 20 years, then I have no problem with that; and if the people want their legislators to serve five years, I have no problem with that either. This district is so diverse, unless you get out and make a point to meet everybody, it's very easy to lose the feel. It's human nature, when you stay someplace too long you get comfortable."
Also on the record:
January will begin Thomas' 22nd year in office. Although he has said he doesn't want to be a legislator for the rest of his life, he said he does recognize the benefits of tenure.
"It took me three years to get that mandatory sentence through," said Thomas of the 1976 legislation he introduced to impose a mandatory sentence for felonies committed using a firearm. "There's a lot of daggone things you can do or keep from being done if you stay down there."
What other candidates say:
Republican House of Delegates candidates Newell Falkinburg of Roanoke and Trixie Averill of Roanoke County favor term limits - most Republicans this year do. "Chip Woodrum has been there 16 years," Falkinburg said of his Democratic opponent, Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum. "Do you believe it? Sixteen years is too long for anyone to serve. They lose touch with the people."
Got a question for the candidates? Send it to Citizens' Agenda, The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke 24010, or fax it to 981-3346 or e-mail dyanceyinfi.net. Please include your name, address, daytime phone number and specify which candidates your question is for.
by CNB