NFIB Tells Committee to Leave Term Limits Alone

Date: November 10, 2016 Last Edit: November 15, 2016

Lansing, MI (November 10, 2016): The state’s leading small
business organization, the National Federation of Independent Business
(NFIB) told the House Elections Committee today that Michigan’s small business
owners support the current term limits law and oppose efforts to change or
repeal the law.

“The NFIB, has surveyed its membership on the term limits issue
numerous times over the years and each time they favored leaving the law as is,”
said Charles Owens, NFIB/Michigan State Director.  “A recent survey of our members conducted in
October, once again, shows strong support for leaving the current term limits
law alone.” Owens said that when members were asked “Do you believe that
Michigan’s Term Limits Law is working as intended? 64.2% said “Yes”, 24.3% said
“No” and 11.5% were “Undecided”. When asked “Should Michigan’s Term Limits
Law be repealed?” 19.1% said “Yes”; 78.4% said “No” and 2.5% were
“Undecided”. When asked about lengthening terms for state House and Senate
members the results were similar with a thumbs down for making that change to
the law.

In 1992 Michigan voters passed a ballot proposal that
amended Michigan’s constitution to impose term limits on state legislative
offices.  Since the law is a part of the
state Constitution, lawmakers cannot change or repeal it by legislative action,
they can only vote to put a term limits question on the state ballot for the
voters to decide. The House Elections Committee has been holding hearings on
the state’s term limits law during the lame duck legislative session and it is
possible that the legislature could put a proposal on the ballot in early 2017
to change or eliminate term limits. To do so would require a two-thirds
majority vote of both the Senate and the House.

“Not surprisingly most of the angst and hand wringing over Michigan’s
term limits law comes from lawmakers themselves, lobbyists and academia,” said
Owens. “Once one steps outside the immediate vicinity of the state capital, it
becomes clear that the vast majority of citizens support the term limits law.”
Owens urged the Committee not to take action to put a term limits question on
the ballot.

Download NFIB Testimony

Related Content: Small Business News | Elections | Michigan

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