New Assault Launched On Legislative Term Limits

New Assault Launched
On Legislative Term Limits
By State Rep. Jason Murphey (R-HD 31)

During a recent update, I wrote about past abuses of
Oklahoma's old guard politicians. I explained how
some had earmarked money for their own pet
projects, and how this type of heavy-handed control
allowed individual legislators and their associates to
benefit directly from taxpayer dollars.

While this form of abuse is still present in the
legislature, I am confident in predicting that
the window on legislative earmarks is shrinking.
Those of us who are fighting to put an end to
earmarks face the likelihood of success, due in
part to the fact that there are many new legislators
who have taken office in the past few years. Many
of these individuals have not been corrupted by
the political process.

Unlike some of their predecessors, they are not career
politicians. Oklahoma's term limit law allows all
representatives and senators to serve only twelve
years in the legislature. After that, they are under a
lifetime ban from holding office in the legislature
again. I believe this new generation of representatives
and senators are fulfilling one of the important visions
of our nation's founding fathers - the vision in which
an average citizen dedicates a few years of life to
representing the people as a citizen-statesman. At the
end of the term of office, the legislator returns to the
normal world to live under the very laws he or she
helped to create. This helps ensure legislators will be
more representative of the people instead of becoming
a class of political elite.

As a result of the term limits
law, the legislature is very
different from just a few
years ago. Gone are many of
the old guard power bosses
who tightly maintained the
status-quo. These politicians
could have stayed in office
almost indefinitely and they
held powerful committee chairmanships where they would bottle up reform-minded legislation.

They have been replaced by a group of energetic
professionals, many of whom wish to enact
pro-growth policies (such as cutting taxes) to change
Oklahoma for the better. And, should some succumb
to the temptation to become part of the status-quo,
they will inevitably be replaced by term limits.

However, State Senator Mary Easily recently
announced that she will file a resolution as part of an
effort to repeal term limits. If the Senator is
successful, starting in 2010, members of the
legislature would no longer be limited on how long
they could serve.

In response, Senator Owen Lauglin released the
following statement. "Thanks to term limits, the
Oklahoma Legislature has attracted new
legislators who have experience in the 'real world.'
There is a different mindset because the newer
legislators have come here to serve for a finite time
and to make a difference. They don't want tomake
a career of being in the legislature."

I agree with Senator Lauglin's point of view. I think
all Oklahomans should take pride in the fact that
Oklahoma was the first state to pass a term limits law.
As your Representative, I will continue to defend this
important reform.

--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
State Representative Jason W. Murphey
Vice-Chairman Homeland Security Committee
State Capitol Building Room #400B
2300 North Lincoln Blvd
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
1(405) 557-7350 (Phone)
1(800) 522-8502 X 350
1(405) 962-7660 (Fax)
www.HouseDistrict31.com
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---