Bill Text: NJ ACR91 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Proposes Constitutional Amendment to limit to 12 number of successive years members of the General Assembly can serve.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [ACR91 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2020-ACR91-Introduced.html

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ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 91

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2020 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  BRIAN BERGEN

District 25 (Morris and Somerset)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Proposes Constitutional Amendment to limit to 12 number of successive years members of the General Assembly can serve.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

 

A Concurrent Resolution proposing to amend Article IV, Section II, paragraph 4 of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey.

 

     Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):

 

     1.    The following proposed amendment to the Constitution of the State of New Jersey is hereby agreed to:

 

PROPOSED AMENDMENT

 

     Amend Article IV, Section II, paragraph 4 to read as follows:

 

     4.    Two members of the General Assembly shall be elected by the legally qualified voters of each Assembly district for terms beginning at noon of the second Tuesday in January next following their election and ending at noon of the second Tuesday in January two years thereafter.

     A member of the General Assembly shall not be eligible to serve more than 12 successive years in the General Assembly, except that a member who is serving a term at the end of the 12th successive year shall be allowed to complete that term.  Service for one year or more to fill an unexpired term of office shall be included in the limitation imposed herein. Years of service shall be considered successive unless there is a break in service consisting of one intervening term.

(cf:  Art.IV, Sec.II, par.4; amended effective December 8, 1966)

 

     2.    When this proposed amendment to the Constitution is finally agreed to pursuant to Article IX, paragraph 1 of the Constitution, it shall be submitted to the people at the next general election occurring more than three months after the final agreement and shall be published at least once in at least one newspaper of each county designated by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly and the Secretary of State, not less than three months prior to the general election.

 

     3.    This proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be submitted to the people at that election in the following manner and form:

     There shall be printed on each official ballot to be used at the general election, the following:

     a.     In every municipality in which voting machines are not used, a legend which shall immediately precede the question as follows:

     If you favor the proposition printed below make a cross (X), plus (+), or check (a) in the square opposite the word "Yes." If you are opposed thereto make a cross (X), plus (+) or check (a) in the square opposite the word "No."

     b.    In every municipality the following question:

 

		CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO LIMIT SERVICE IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO 12 CONSECUTIVE YEARS
	YES	Do you approve a change to the Constitution to limit the service of a member of the General Assembly to 12 consecutive years in that office?  The limit would also apply to any member currently in office.
		INTERPRETIVE STATEMENT
	NO	This amendment would limit to 12 the number of consecutive years that a member of the General Assembly could serve in that office.      The term of office of a member of the General Assembly is two years.  This change would limit the service of a member to six consecutive terms.

 

SCHEDULE

 

     The limitation on the number of successive years a member of the General Assembly may serve as established by this constitutional amendment shall include successive years served immediately prior to the adoption of the amendment, including the year in which the amendment is adopted.  A member who, on the date of adoption of the amendment, is serving a successive year in excess of the number of years permitted by this amendment shall be eligible to complete the term of office.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This concurrent resolution would amend the State Constitution to limit the successive number of years that a member of the General Assembly can serve.

     A member of the General Assembly would not be eligible to serve more than 12 successive years in office, except that a member or official who is serving a term at the end of the 12th successive year would be allowed to complete that term.  Service for one year or more to fill an unexpired term of office is included in the limitation imposed by this amendment.  Years of service would be considered successive unless there is a break in service consisting of one intervening term of office.

     This amendment would apply to successive years served by members of the General Assembly immediately prior to the adoption of the amendment.  However, a member of the General Assembly, who on the date of adoption of the amendment, is serving a successive year in excess of the number of years permitted by this amendment could complete that term of office.