Executive Voices: An Op Ed Column
Session Limits
We need this vital reform to
save our citizen legislature
By Sen. David Hoyle
If
the need to limit the amount of time lawmakers are in session in our
state wasn’t obvious before, this year it is undeniable. As of the
end of November, the 2001 General Assembly had been in session for
longer than any legislature in North Carolina history.
Indeed, while North Carolina is supposed to have a part-time
legislature, this year we have been in session longer than some states
with full-time legislatures.
And make no mistake; these interminable sessions are bad for our state
and its economy. It’s no surprise that without session limits, this
year’s state budget was approved in September — more than two
months after the new fiscal year started on July 1.
That’s why I was delighted to learn that North Carolina Citizens for
Business and Industry has made limiting the length of the North
Carolina General Assembly’s annual session a top issue for its
legislative work next year.
With NCCBI’s help, we have a great opportunity to get this vital
reform approved. The North Carolina Senate has overwhelmingly approved
session limits in every session since 1995.
This year, as the session continued to stretch on and on, we approved
session limits not once but twice. Both times, the measure failed to
win support in the House of Representatives.
That’s where NCCBI can be so helpful. Those of us who support
session limits need the business community to help us push this reform
though the House. And let me be perfectly clear: this is not a
partisan issue. Session limits has been passed in the Senate with
support from both Republicans and Democrats. And they’ve been
rejected — or at least ignored — by the House when the GOP
controlled the chamber and also when the Democrats were in charge.
With NCCBI’s backing, we have a great opportunity to give voters a
chance to add a session-limits amendment to the N.C. Constitution. If
voters approve, the long session, held in odd-numbered years, would be
135 calendar days. The short session, held in even-numbered years,
would be 60 days. A 10-day extension would be available if needed.
Limiting sessions is not a new concept. In fact, North Carolina is
just one of 11 states with no limits on the length of legislative
sessions.
Session limits would save thousands of taxpayer dollars — dollars
that ought to be used for other priorities, like education. Limiting
the session will also improve government efficiency. Under our current
system, the long session now begins in January, with the election of
each chamber’s leadership. Then, while we are in session, it takes
at least another month for new leaders to assign committees, choose
committee chairmen and complete dozens of appointments that must be
made before bills can be discussed and legislation approved.
Under my bill, each chamber would come into session right after the
election, choose its leaders and then adjourn for a month to allow the
legislature to get organized. Just this simple reform alone would cut
at least a month off the length of the current session and save
thousands of dollars.
But perhaps the most important argument for session limits is that it
will protect North Carolina’s “citizen legislature” — the
simple principle that being a lawmaker should not be the work of
professional, full-time politicians. Rather, our state is founded on
the idea that lawmakers should be teachers and business people and
others from all walks of life — not just those who are retired or
who have the means to support themselves while the legislature meets
month after month.
Without session limits, the ideal of the citizen legislature will
become a relic of the past and the pool of qualified people willing to
spend months away from their jobs and their families to serve in
public office will dwindle. Once that happens, we will have a
legislature made up of people with little connection to the lives of
real North Carolina families and businesses.
It’s my hope that this year’s legislative session and its dubious
distinction of being the longest in state history will spark renewed
interest in session limits when the General Assembly returns in May
for its “short” session. With NCCBI’s help, let’s hope that
2002 will be the year we ensure that all legislative sessions do the
work of improving North Carolina – and do it in a reasonable amount
of time.
Sen. David Hoyle (D-Gaston) is serving his fifth term in the state
Senate representing the 25th District covering parts of Cleveland,
Gaston and Lincoln counties. He is co-chair of the Finance Committee
vice chair of the Commerce and Education committees and a member of
several other committees.
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