Let's bring it home

Montana’s State Legislature enacted CI-64 26 years ago. The effect of “Term Limits” was to prohibit public officials from seeking re-election if they have already held the office for a defined number of years. Term limits offer both negative and positive arguments.

A single drawback is that term limits can possibly hinder positive policies and favorable influence accrued through years and years of public office. However, term limits become another method to reject ineffective policies or poor outcomes. Term limits allow public officials to be more responsive to their constituents as they live under the policies they pass into legislation. Under term limits, elected public officials would leave office before any possible corruption dominates their decisions. Term limits foster less time in office to develop financially beneficial commitments to special interest groups or lobbyists. Term limits renew opportunities for better or prudent ideas and policy measures from fresh-thinking new candidates who challenge “entrenched status-quo” office holders.

So, if term limits are advantageous to Montana state government, why not exercise this construct in our own Sanders County back yard. Wouldn’t serving over 20 years in the same elected office be long enough?

Kathleen Hassan,

Trout Creek