Bill Text: HI HB539 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii House Bill 539 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Constitutional Amendment; Legislative Term Limits

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-12-01 - Carried over to 2012 Regular Session. [HB539 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-HB539-Introduced.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	539
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Proposing an amendment to the hawaii constitution to limit legislative terms of office.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION1. In the late eighteenth century, while our country was forming, legislatures often followed the "citizen-legislator" model, in which a member of the community would serve in the legislature for a few years and then, civic duty satisfied, return to private employment. In recent years, this model has changed and many legislators now make the legislature their career, remaining entrenched in the same office for decades. This practice has contributed to the feeling by many that legislators may be more concerned with protecting their positions than in serving the public by taking bold, and sometimes unpopular but necessary, stands.

A limit on the number of years a legislator may serve in each chamber will promote this citizen-legislator model, provide fresh faces and new thinking, and enable legislators to act as they think best rather than to act cautiously by remaining noncontroversial, bland, and ineffective.

It is the purpose of this Act to propose an amendment to the Hawaii constitution to limit the terms that a legislator may serve in each chamber of the legislature, which would allow greater turnover and citizen participation.

SECTION 2. Article III, section 4, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:

"ELECTION OF MEMBERS; TERM; TERM LIMITS

Section 4. Each member of the legislature shall be elected at an election. If more than one candidate has been nominated for election to a seat in the legislature, the member occupying that seat shall be elected at a general election. If a candidate nominated for a seat at a primary election is unopposed for that seat at the general election, the candidate shall be deemed elected at the primary election. The term of office of a member of the house of representatives shall be two years [~~and the~~]; provided that no member shall serve for more than four consecutive two-year terms beginning after January 1, 2011. The term of office of a member of the senate shall be four years[.]; provided that no member shall serve for more than two consecutive four-year terms beginning after January 1, 2011. The term of a member of the legislature shall begin on the day of the general election at which elected or if elected at a primary election, on the day of the general election immediately following the primary election at which elected. For a member of the house of representatives, the term shall end on the day of the general election immediately following the day the member's term commences. For a member of the senate, the term shall end on the day of the second general election immediately following the day the member's term commences."

SECTION 3. The question to be printed on the ballot shall be as follows:

"Shall state senators be limited to serving two consecutive four-year terms and representatives be limited to serving four consecutive two-year terms beginning after January 1, 2011?"

SECTION 4. Constitutional material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New constitutional material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This amendment shall take effect upon compliance with article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Constitutional Amendment; Legislative Term Limits

Description:

Amends the Hawaii Constitution to limit state senators to 2 consecutive terms and representatives to 4 consecutive terms beginning after 1/1/11.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.