Council rejects measure asking for term limits

In a six-to-three vote, the St. Charles Parish Council rejected a resolution that would have supported term limits in Congress.

Council members Paul Hogan and Marilyn Bellock introduced the measure in support of a joint resolution introduced in Congress by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Francis Rooney on Jan. 3 that calls for a constitutional amendment for the term limits in both houses of Congress.

Hogan and Bellock, along with Councilman Billy Woodruff , voted in support of the measure while council members Wendy Benedetto, Terrell Wilson, Mary Clulee, Dick Gibbs, Traci Fletcher and Julia Fisher all opposed it.

The public did not comment on the move at the meeting.

But Clulee said she was advised that Louisiana, with its “relatively small state with a relatively small population,” benefitted from representatives with seniority on Congress. She said it got the state better representation on committees.

Fisher questioned whether it was the council’s authority relative to a federal matter.

[pullquote]“This might be a little out of the scope of what our powers and jurisdiction is on the local level so I won’t support this.” – Council Chairwoman Julia Fisher[/pullquote]

Hogan said he introduced the resolution on requests from several of his constituents.

“This seems no different to me than us passing a resolution to support a candidate,” Fisher said. “This might be a little out of the scope of what our powers and jurisdiction is on the local level, so I won’t support this.”

On the federal level, the Cruz-Rooney resolution has gotten support from Sen. Rick Scott.

Other than committees, Congress serves without term limits.

The resolution proposes to amend the constitution to limit terms with two six-year terms for the Senate and three two-year terms for the House.

For it to be enacted, it requires approval of two-thirds of both houses of Congress and then must be ratified by 38 states.

 

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