For the week of Oct 30 - Nov 5, 2002

Proposition Two: 
Shall voters repeal 
the repeal?

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

Proposition Two is a statewide referendum on whether Idaho voters want to re-establish term limits for elected officials who serve in federal, state, county, city and school district offices.

Specifically, it asks if voters want to approve or reject Idaho’s House Bill 425, which upon its approval in February repealed Idaho's standing term-limit laws. The bill was approved by the state House of Representatives and Senate in January, vetoed by Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, and then given a second vote of support by state legislators to override the governor’s veto.

Idaho voters in 1994 enacted term limits on all elected officials in the state. In 1998, voters reaffirmed term limits for local and state office holders in a statewide advisory poll.

The Idaho Supreme Court in 2001 determined that the term-limit laws approved by voters were constitutional.

Term-limit laws targeted by House Bill 425 restricted school board members and county commissioners to six years of service in any 11-year period, and all other elected state, county and city officials to eight years in any 15-year period. The laws were designed to not impact state legislators until 2004.

H425 received opposition from Democrats in the state House and Senate, but received overwhelming support from Republicans. It repealed sections of Idaho Code pertaining to term limits, but was challenged by enough citizens to mandate a statewide referendum in the form of Proposition Two.

The proposition states that rejection of H425 will "enact ballot restrictions that will have the practical effect of imposing term limits."

A "yes" vote on the proposition would in effect be vote in favor of H425 and against term limits.

A "no" vote on the proposition would be a vote against H425 and its repeal of pre-existing term limits, and would reinstate the term limits previously approved by voters.

Essentially, Proposition Two is an inverted "yes" or "no" vote on whether Idaho citizens want to impose term limits on their elected officials. A "yes" vote will repeal term-limit laws, and a "no" vote will uphold term-limit laws.

 

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