Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Kelly M. Jackson] –
After being deferred last week, a bill that addresses term limits is once again on a Tennessee House subcommittee calendar this week.
On Wednesday 2/22/2023 at Noon Central, the House Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee will be hearing a bill that will help create a referendum process that will enable the public to vote on whether their elected and appointed officials will be term limited.
Representative Bryan Richey (R- District 20- Maryville), the sponsor of the legislation, conveyed to the Tennessee Conservative the importance of this legislation passing in this session.
Because of the process that is needed to create an amendment to our state constitution, a bill must pass through two consecutive sessions of the General Assembly. Therefore, if this bill doesn’t pass this session, then it is effectively dead.
Richey said “this issue polls at 70% for Tennesseans, so it is an issue that clearly the people want to see acted on in this session”.
HB0118 as introduced, establishes a referendum process by which the electorate of a local government in this state may vote to establish 16-year term limits for the public officials of the local government.
Representative Richey emphasized the need for the people to get involved, and call their representatives, send an email, or even better, show up to the hearing and be present. He said that when people make the time to be there in person so their voices can be heard, it makes an indelible impression on our elected officials that goes a long way.
Below, you will find the information for each individual who is on the committee that will be hearing the bill on Wednesday the 22nd at noon. If this issue is important to you, email, call, or even better, involve yourself personally in the process that will have an effect on this piece of legislation.
Elections and Campaign Finance Subcommittee
Rep. Tim Rudd (R) – Chair – rep.tim.rudd@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2804
Rep. Jeff Burkhart (R) – rep.jeff.burkhart@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-6804
Rep. John Crawford (R) – rep.john.crawford@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-7623
Rep. Clay Doggett (R) – rep.clay.doggett@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-7476
Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes (R) – rep.esther.helton@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1934
Rep. Larry Miller (R) – rep.larry.miller@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-4453
Rep. Jerome Moon (R) – rep.jerome.moon@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-5481
About the Author: Kelly Jackson is a recent escapee from corporate America, and a California refugee to Tennessee. Christ follower, Wife and Mom of three amazing teenagers. She has a BA in Comm from Point Loma Nazarene University, and has a background in law enforcement and human resources. Since the summer of 2020, she has spent any and all free time in the trenches with local grassroots orgs, including Mom’s for Liberty Williamson County and Tennessee Stands as a core member. Outspoken advocate for parents rights, medical freedom, and individual liberty.
6 Responses
Term limits – a truly terrible idea that fixes nothing that ails this country but refuses to die. Why 70% of the people of this state want to limit their freedom to vote for officeholders who are doing a good job which the officeholders want to continue doing is a mystery to me. Perhaps we should term limit other professional like our doctor and dentist at twenty years so we can give new ones a chance by forcing the retirement of these entrenched professionals – UTTER IDIOCY!
This soon hopefully law needs to be in Washington also! THIS WOLD STOP a lot of corruption before the politicians get embedded.
Perhaps Doug, but it would certainly stop our ability to re-elect Marvelous Mark Green (Heritage-97%), John Rose (99%), Tim Burchett (95%) etc. etc. Why would we as conservatives want to pass a constitutional amendment to do such a thing only to have to scrounge around to find what we would hope to be reasonable facsimiles.
All elected officials need to be term limited. The president is term limited and congress needs to be as well. Otherwise you have the mess we have in Washington DC. Politics was never meant to be a career job.
The President is term limited that’s why his power and influence considerably wanes about half way through his second term. Thus, instead of a full two term limitation in many ways it’s a one and one half term limitation. Why? What purpose does such a limitation serve?
And Jim, why shouldn’t politics like any other employment be a career job provided the people who the officeholder serves keep on reelecting the officeholder? That’s simply the way democracy is supposed to work. Now it’s all well and good that you aesthetically don’t like officeholders serving more than some magical number of terms, and you can certainly vote that way, but why do you have to limit the freedom of people like myself to vote for any officeholder whose voting record reflects a devotion to my conservative worldview?
Surprised it’s up for committee review, bet it goes to “summer study”