State Sen. Sen. Mike Bennett likes the idea of term limits but says Florida's eight-year limits for House and Senate members are too short for the good of the state.
That has Bennett, R-Bradenton, pushing for a constitutional amendment that would increase the terms for both state senators and state representatives. Senators would have their terms increased from two 4-year terms, to two 6-year terms, like the U.S. Senate. In the House, state representatives could get three four-year terms before they are forced out, instead of the current four two-year terms.
The current eight-year limits produce so much turnover, Bennett said, that newer legislators become even more reliant on lobbyists and committee staffers who have more institutional knowledge than the elected members.
"They're running the joint," Bennett said of lobbyists and committee staffers. "The people deserve better."
The longer terms would also cut down on the fundraising that seems to never stop in Tallahassee, Bennett said. The moment House members win seats, they are immediately under pressure to raise money for re-election in the current two-year cycles, he said.
But his bill, SB 598, does not stop with the Legislature. Bennett's proposed constitutional amendment, which would have to go for a statewide vote first, would set term limits on all county elected officials such as sheriffs, county commissioners and clerks of court. Like for the legislators, those officials would get a maximum of 12 years. Currently there are no term limits on county offices.
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