Massachusetts voters narrowly approved a term limits law in 1994, but two years later it was overturned by the Supreme Judicial Court because of the way it was crafted. Governing magazine, in its latest issue, offers a glimpse of what might have been.
The magazine reports that term limits, in the 14 states that have them, are doing what they were supposed to do, bringing new faces into state legislatures. But the report points out that high turnover can also be counterproductive, particularly when new lawmakers are struggling to learn their jobs as they face some of the worst economic and budget conditions in decades.
Across the country, 378 legislators were term-limited last year. Michigan was the most extreme case. Twenty-nine of the state’s 38 senators and 34 of the 110 House members are new because of term limits. (Overall, there will be 60 new House members.) The state also has a new governor, attorney general, and secretary of state.
Michigan state Rep. Tom McMillin tells Governing that his state legislature is more diverse and has an everyday-citizen look to it. “I hear stories of the old days and the legislators were treated literally like royalty,” McMillin says. “Everybody bowed to these people. Term limits guarantee that we get away from the whole idea of kings and princes. We gain much more in having a citizen legislature.”
Yet studies indicate some drawbacks. A 12-year study by Wayne State University indicated term limits increased the influence of lobbyists, who know the ropes and have institutional memory. Term-limited lawmakers also tend to be less interested in reaching out to political opponents to craft a compromise.
Of course, the increase in political newcomers may be just a sign of the uncertain political times. Stateline reports that turnover in state legislatures will be about 25 percent, a figure described as “extraordinarily high” by an elections analyst with the National Conference of State Legislatures. In New Hampshire, which does not have term limits, the 400-member House will have 128 new faces.
–BRUCE MOHL
BEACON HILL
The Phoenix’s David Bernstein says Sen. Stephen Brewer’s appointment as Ways and Means chair is not a huge surprise since he was the vice chair of the committee. But Bernstein says the appointment signals that Senate President Therese Murray isn’t concerned about fallout from the probation scandal, since Brewer is hip-deep in it.
Radio Boston talks to Alicia Munnell, chair of the Governor’s Commission on State Pensions and director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
Gov. Deval Patrick seizes control of the Massport board, and it looks like Tom Kinton will be the next agency head to fall.
Senate President Therese Murray is the latest to criticize the aid package Patrick gave Evergreen Solar, while the Herald digs up documents indicating the administration initially wanted to hand Evergreen $113 million.
NATIONAL
Capitol Hill policymakers are quietly mulling ways to let states enter bankruptcy without upending the Constitution or upending municipal bonds.
Time’s Swampland blog notes the national unemployment rate will have to come down if President Obama hopes to win the reelection in 2012, but it points out that joblessness remains stubbornly high in battleground states like Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Nevada, and Michigan. Massachusetts ranks 20th in terms of unemployment.
Boston Herald columnist Joe Battenfeld and Boston Globe Magazine reporter Neil Swidey join Emily Rooney and Adam Reilly on “Great Boston” to look back and review Scott Brown’s victory one year ago.
US Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina tells National Review Online that states shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for a Washington bailout or they may pass out.
Conservative lawmakers want to cut $20 billion more than the House leadership has already pledged to cut, because they’re just that hard core.
Americans say they abhor higher taxes, but they want their Social Security and Medicare held harmless, too.
Joshua Green profiles Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader who brought Republicans back into power by torpedoing post-partisanship.
Mitt Romney is trying to set himself apart from the GOP field by distancing himself from Tea Party activists, reports the Globe.
Newt Gingrich believes Barack Obama is serving out…wait for it…Bill Clinton’s third term. Via Political Wire.
MUNICIPAL
Federal prosecutors want to send former Boston city councilor Chuck Turner away for up to three-and-a-half years – in part because he took a bribe, prosecutors say, and in part because he allegedly lied on the stand at trial. CommonWealth reported last week that the feds would likely use the perjury allegations to try to stick Turner with a stiffer punishment than a first offense for taking a $1000 bribe would normally warrant.
The Gloucester School Committee voted 6-0 to name Richard Safir superintendent of schools, according to a story in the Gloucester Times. Safir is a Gloucester resident and currently the assistant superintendent of schools in Billerica. Meanwhile, the superintendent in Billerica, Anthony Serio, is expected to retire on Monday, the Lowell Sun reports.
Officials in Somerset have rescheduled a special town meeting slated for the Venus de Milo restaurant in Swansea because a Somerset bylaw says you can’t hold a town meeting outside the town unless it is first gaveled to order somewhere inside the borders.
Brian Murphy, the provisional fire chief in Lawrence, quits his post after a 20-minute speech in which he accused Mayor William Lantigua of continuously throwing roadblocks in his way. The Eagle-Tribune has the story.
Medway, Ashland, Holliston, Franklin, Millis and Medfield offcials meet informally to discuss continuing frustrations with heath insurance and public employee unions.
HEALTH CARE
The state’s largest health insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, says a pilot program using “global payments” to doctors is providing better quality care and appears to be controlling costs, according to this Globe account.
Health care consolidation continues. The Gloucester Times reports that Northeast Health System, the parent company of Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester, BayRidge Hospital in Lynn, and Beverly Hospital, is talking with four would-be partners. Here’s the Globe’s version of the story.
Massachusetts residents aren’t visiting health care providers regularly because they fear the costs are prohibitive.
Federal officials have released $157 million for hospitals serving low-income and uninsured patients.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Newly elected Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey is laying off up to 20 staffers, including about eight prosecutors, in what he terms a belt-tightening move in anticipation of a 5 percent cut from his former colleagues in the Legislature. But Morrissey is interviewing to replace some of the soon-to-be-departed so it’s sort of a “to the victor” move.
In the wake of last month’s killing of a Woburn police officer by a paroled ex-inmate, state officials are putting on hold the release of inmates who have already been granted parole but not yet released. The move comes on the heels of an earlier decision to halt parole hearings for anyone serving a sentence of 15 years to life.
An employee of a Revere group home for adults with mental illness was found murdered and a resident of the home has been arrested and charged with the killing.
Slate explains where mobsters get those cra-cra-crazy nicknames.
GENOCIDE
The Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by Turkish groups to force the state to post hyperlinks to sites representing their views on a state curriculum guideline highlighting the slaughter of Armenians by Turks in the early 20th century. Via Universal Hub.
ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT
A North Adams Transcript editorial applauds a decision to allow local entities like Williamstown, Williams College and the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to weigh in on a proposed biomass plant just over the border in Vermont.
In the wake of the controversy over a Falmouth wind turbine, the Cape Cod Commission proposes rules to prevent construction of any more large wind turbines in the region.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
The Washington Post reports on Borders efforts to survive Americans’ changes in reading habits and its own miscues.
URBAN PLANNING
In his weekly Globe column, CommonWealth‘s Paul McMorrow has the tale of a West End garage that will be coming down as part of an effort to bring the neighborhood up.
SNOW JOB
Curmudgeon columnist Scot Leigh bemoans the fact that during his nearly three decades in Boston only once has a young, shovel-toting entrepreneur knocked on his door looking for work following a snow storm. He concludes that today’s young layabouts “are all on Facebook or busy texting their pals.” Maybe it depends on where you live, because this CommonWealth correspondent already had one would-be shoveler at his Dorchester door by 8:30 this morning, something that happened regularly following the last couple of snow dumps we’ve had.
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