Raising the Issue of Term Limits



By George Weeks

The bipartisan board of the Michigan Political History Society includes directors who earlier had bit roles in shaping such history. So it figures they would do more than stage stuffy seminars to ponder the past.

The society holds forums on changes in politics and policy-making. On May 13 in Lansing, it will have one on "The Real Impact of Term Limits."

Someone should bring a copy of the April issue of Governing magazine, which pretty well nails it with this headline: "Term limits aren't working. Does that bother anybody? Not the voters, at least so far."

Alan Greenblatt writes: "There's a growing consensus among both legislators and executives in the 15 term-limited states that the system has weakened the legislatures, draining them of experienced leadership and leaving inexperienced replacements at the mercy of lobbyists and bureaucrats with a greater career stability."

It's no surprise that term-limited lawmakers would hold a grudge. But more fundamentally, says Greenblatt, "term limits have done nothing to further their sponsors' original ideal of freeing legislatures from the grip of career politicians who raise vast sums from interest groups . . . today's politicians hop between chambers."

Among Michigan's 38 state senators, 37 are ex-House members, including the Northern Four - Republicans Jason Allen of Traverse City, Michelle McManus of Lake Leelanau and Tony Stamas of Midland, and Democrat Michael Prusi of Ishpeming.

House Minority Leader Dianne Byrum, D-Onondaga, earlier had two four-year Senate terms, all that's allowed under the constitutional amendment overwhelmingly approved by voters in 1992. Another Democrat term-limited out of the Senate, Alma Wheeler Smith of South Lyon, was elected to the House last year.

Talk about musical chairs: Rep. William J. Van Regenmorter, R-Hudsonville, who chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee before eviction by term limits, now chairs the Judiciary Committee in the House--where he had four terms before his 1990 election to the Senate. No complaint here. It's good to have some adult supervision.

An early beef I had with term limits was brooming of legislative leaders, especially in the House. But the greenhorns have done pretty well in the last four years or so. Some northern newcomers are good fits as chairs of committees/subcommittees involving natural resources, including Republicans Dave Palsrok of Manistee and Howard Walker of Traverse City.

In about half the states with term limits, there are stirrings to extend the length of service, without totally lifting limits. Michigan's House limit should be extended from six to eight years. But the climate's not ripe.

Pollster Steve Mitchell of Mitchell Research & Communications says opposition to change "remains strong." Publisher Bill Ballenger of Inside Michigan Politics newsletter says when "you get beyond a three block radius of the Capitol, antipathy to term limits drops precipitously."

Those of us opposed to term limits have yet to see a compelling Exhibit A to present to the jury.

Granholm's Northern Front

Considering her latest favorability ratings and other polling, it was wise for Governor Jennifer Granholm to spend a full day last week in five cities in the northern Lower Peninsula - which appears to be a current weak spot for her.

Pollster Ed Sarpolus, who conducted the March 23-28 EPIC/MRA statewide survey of 600 likely voters, said that among seven "map regions" that he polls, the Republican-leaning Northern Lower gave her the lowest unfavorable rating (59 percent).

It had the highest percentage (51 percent) of those who said they would consider voting for someone else in 2006. Among the five major media markets, Granholm in the Traverse City market, which extends to mid Michigan and includes the eastern Upper Peninsula, had the highest unfavorable rating (63 percent). Her next highest unfavorable rating was 49 percent in the Democratic-leaning Flint/Saginaw/Bay City market, where economic woes abound.

Granholm gets a 51 percent overall favorable rating in the Upper Peninsula.

These regional and media market surveys are relatively small sub samples and have a much higher margin of error than the statewide survey's plus or minus 4 percentage.

But however tallied, Granholm's northern numbers are not as strong as they were last year.

U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, whose sprawling district covers much of the two media markets where Gran-holm had her lowest marks, said of the poll results: "I don't know how you can blame Governor Granholm" for Michigan's current economic woes."

He contended she has "done a wonderful job," while the Republican-controlled Legislature "has shirked its responsibility" and should "get off her back."

Stupak's comments came in a Saturday media conference call upon his return from the funeral of Pope John Paul II, where he was the only one from Michigan in the 26-member U.S. congressional delegation.

George Weeks is the political columnist for The Detroit News and is syndicated by Superior Features.