Ohio News Network: Two Lawmakers Seek Term Limit Changes

Two state lawmakers say legislators barely have a chance to learn the ropes before their time is up under term limits.

State Representative Shirley Smith of Cleveland wants to extend term limits for state legislators from eight to 12 years. But Representative Tyrone Yates of Cincinnati wants to do away with them entirely.

Smith and Yates, both Democrats, plan to introduce their proposals when the Legislature reconvenes in two weeks. Both would require voter approval.

The lawmakers say term limits may have brought in fresh faces and new opportunities, but they've also created instability in the General Assembly, with novices sometimes being put in key positions.

Opponents of term limits have argued that elections serve as natural term limits. But voters who approved term limits in 1992 saw the restrictions as a way of getting rid of entrenched politicians.

Click here to read the story from the Ohio News Network.

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