A petition to put term limits on state legislature officials and the North Dakota Governor has gathered 5,829 signatures from North Dakotans.
The Secretary of State’s office approved the petition to begin collecting signatures last July.
For the petition to land on the 2022 ballot, 31,164 signatures must be collected and submitted to the North Dakota Secretary of State’s Office by July 2022.
The measure would limit members of the legislature and the governor to two four-year terms. Currently, there are no term limits for members of the legislature or the governor.
“North Dakotans are tired of politics as usual and responding with overwhelming support in getting term limits on the 2022 ballot,” said Jared Hendrix, Chairman of North Dakota for Term Limits in a press release. “In just over a month, we have collected over a sixth of the required signatures to get term limits on the ballot.”
If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, the measure would become effective Jan. 1, 2023. Current office-holder’s terms would not count towards the limit, meaning they could hold office twice more.
Language in the measure also prevents the legislature from repealing or altering it, instead only citizens could amend the measure.
North Dakota State Sen. Jason Heitkamp (R, D-26) is a co-sponsor of the proposed measure.
“Instead of having people who are in office for years and years and years — we have people who have been in office for over 40 years in this state — we need people that are young and have good ideas, maybe different ideas, to help keep our state active and going,” Heitkamp said.
Heitkamp cited concerns about incumbents with established campaign financing being able to edge out challengers with ease.
“The polls show that a high percentage of North Dakotans are for term limits,” Heitkamp said.
North Dakota State Sen. Ray Holmberg (R, D-17) is an opponent of term limits. He has served in the Senate since 1977 and is the longest serving state senator in North Dakota.
“Why should I tell the people in Wahpeton that they can’t elect Cindy Schreiber Beck or Alisa Mitskog because they have served x number of years? That’s a Wahpeton decision, it’s not my decision, that’s why I’d vote no,” Holmberg said.
A study conducted by Pulse Opinion Research in February, 2020, found that of 500 likely voters, 83 percent approved of placing eight year term limits on the state legislature. Eighty-six percent of Republicans and 80 percent of Democrats approved of term limits.
Twelve percent of likely voters disapproved of term limits, with 11 percent of Republicans and Democrats disapproving.
Term limits for the governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general had an 83 percent approval rating. Eighty-eight percent of Republicans and 81 percent of Democrats approved of term limits for members of the executive branch.
Eleven percent of likely voters disapproved of such term limits. Nine percent of Republicans and 11 percent of Democrats disapproved.
Poll information can be found here: https://www.termlimits.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2020_North-_Dakota_Summary.docx-.pdf.