<< Back 9/11/02 Legislative reform should be election issue SMN North Carolina’s legislative process is broken and needs fixing. Too few people have too much power and make too many important decisions. Further, it is taking the few too long. Missing budget deadlines for the beginning of the state’s fiscal year has become commonplace and is inexcusable. The length of sessions is out of control. Last year’s eleven-month fiasco and this year’s so-called “short session,” guaranteed to last at least five are proof. Lobbyists and PACs have too much influence. We might endure the above indictments if our legislators were doing their jobs well. One has only to look at the sorry state of affairs in North Carolina to know both the people and the process are failing. Make any excuse you wish about circumstances, the economy, September 11th, the weather, or whatever. The bottom line is that legislative reform is desperately needed. For starters, we must amend the Constitution of North Carolina on a number of fronts in the same referendum. Session limits are a must. Legislators have demonstrated they cannot and will not set appropriate limits for the length of sessions. Taxpayers need to set the boundaries. Legislative terms should be four years. Current two-year terms allow one year to serve and the second to run for re-election, costing $100,000 or more to get elected. Some might lament that four-year terms will make lawmakers less accountable, but history demonstrates most are re-elected anyway. The four-year term must be accompanied by term limits. Legislators should not be allowed to serve more than three four-year terms. A related provision should eliminate legislative retirement. The concept speaks to serving long enough to receive a pension, as if that is acceptable. It isn’t. Legislative service was never intended to be a career itself and certainly should not be rewarded with a pension. This amendment should restrict the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to serving no more than four years in those respective offices. More frequent turnover in those powerful positions will ensure a greater sharing of power and enhanced leadership development. While we are amending the Constitution, let’s put budget constraints on lawmakers by mandating that state expenditures for any year cannot exceed the actual receipts from the previous year. Exceptions could be made during crises but would require a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber. North Carolina’s legislative process must become more effective. To achieve this goal will require Constitutional reform. It’s time the citizens took back control of the process. Let’s make reform an issue during this fall’s elections. — ByTom Campbell, the former assistant treasurer for North Carolina who currently produces and moderates the television talk show NC SPIN, syndicated throughout North Carolina. Contact him at ncspin.com. NC SPIN airs in Asheville Sundays at 6:30 am on WLOS-TV.