The Edmond Sun

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Discussion

September 29, 2009

Term limits 1 topic of debate

James Coburn

EDMOND — Edmond voters were offered a glimpse of the 2010 election agenda Tuesday night as state questions were presented by lawmakers at the Downtown Community Center.

About 75 people attended the event sponsored by the City of Edmond, the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce and the House District 81 Committee.

Sen. Randy Brogdon said he probably would not be serving in the Oklahoma Senate if Oklahomans had not given their approval for 12-year legislative terms.

State Question 747 would set term limits for all statewide elected officials, said Brogdon, R-Owasso, the principal author of the measure with Rep. Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie. Brogdon is a candidate for governor on the Republican ticket in 2010.

“I believe that fresh faces bring fresh ideas and provides for better government,” Brogdon said. “… So I thought that since the Legislature is term-limited, it would be quite appropriate to term limit the rest of the statewide elected officials.”

Limiting politicians’ ability to run for re-election was difficult to run through the Legislature, he said.

Service as governor, lieutenant governor, commissioner of labor, auditor and inspector, treasurer, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction and insurance commissioner would be limited to eight years.

“It limits the ability of voters to re-elect statewide elected officers by limiting how many years those officers can serve,” Attorney General Drew Edmond stated when re-writing a portion of the ballot.

Corporation Commissioner Dana Murphy, R-Edmond, noted that the legislators’ term limits are staggered to provide a mix of seasoned, experienced people there blending with new faces. Service as a corporation commissioner is limited to 12 years in the bill.

“I guess my concern would be why is it a good thing that every eight years there’s basically eight new statewide elected officials who probably know little of anything of the office that they’re running for?” Murphy said.

Brogdon said he does not believe there are indispensable statewide officials in Oklahoma, including himself. Good governance of the people for the people qualifies most Oklahomans to serve in office, he said.

“I was a heat and air conditioner repair guy for 30 years. What qualified me to be serving as a state senator?” he said.

Murphy asked again if there was any thought given to staggering these statewide officials in office.

“Not for me,” Brogdon said. “My idea is to get them out as quick as we possibly can and get fresh blood in.”

State Question 747 will appear on the ballot for consideration on Nov. 2, 2010. Other state questions up for voter consideration are SQ 744 — Common School Funding, SQ 746 — Voter Identification, SQ 748 — Legislative Redistricting, SQ 750 — Initiative Petition Signature Requirements, SQ 751 — English Language, SQ 752 — Judicial Nominating Commission, SQ 753 — Worker’s Compensation Court Judges and SQ 754 — State Government Expenditure Limitations.



EDITOR’S NOTE: To read about discussion on other state questions, see Thursday’s Edmond Sun.

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