| Legislative
Bulletin |
December
12, 2001 |
 |
Hoyle
makes strong case for session limits
The
leading proponent for session limits in the General Assembly
is Sen. David Hoyle (D-Gaston), who is serving his fifth term
in the state Senate representing the 25th District covering
parts of Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties. Hoyle (left)
has
sponsored five session limits bills that have passed the
Senate in the past few years, all of which have died in the
House for lack of action. Hoyle, who is a member of NCCBI, is
co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee, vice chair of the
Commerce and Education committees and a member of several
other committees. The op-ed column he wrote below will be
published in the January issue of North Carolina Magazine.
By Sen. David Hoyle
If
the need to limit the amount of time lawmakers are in session
in our state wasn’t obvious before, this year it is
undeniable. As of the end of November, the 2001 General
Assembly has been in session for longer than any legislature
in North Carolina history.
Indeed, while North Carolina is supposed to have a part-time
legislature, this year we have been in session longer than
some states with full-time legislatures.
And make no mistake; these interminable sessions are bad for
our state and its economy. It’s no surprise that without
session limits, this year’s state budget was approved in
September – more than two months after the new fiscal year
started on July 1.
That’s why I was delighted to learn that North Carolina
Citizens for Business and Industry has made limiting the
length of the North Carolina General Assembly’s annual
session the top issue for its legislative work next year.
With NCCBI’s help, we have a great opportunity to get this
vital reform approved. The North Carolina Senate has
overwhelmingly approved session limits in every sessions since
1995.
This year, as the session continued to stretch on and on, we
approved session limits not once but twice. Both times, the
measure failed to win support in the House of Representatives.
That’s where NCCBI can be so helpful. Those of us who
support session limits need the business community to help us
push this reform though the House. And let me be perfectly
clear: this is not a partisan issue. Session limits has been
passed in the Senate with support from both Republicans and
Democrats. And they’ve been rejected – or at least ignored
– by the House when the GOP controlled the chamber and also
when the Democrats were in charge.
With NCCBI’s backing, we have a great opportunity to give
voters a chance to add a session-limits amendment to the N.C.
Constitution. If voters approve, the long session, held in
odd-numbered years, would be 135 calendar days. The short
session, held in even-numbered years, would be 60 days. A
10-day extension would be available if needed. Limiting
sessions is not a new concept. In fact, North Carolina is just
one of 11 states with no limits on the length of legislative
sessions.
Session limits would save thousands of taxpayer dollars –
dollars that ought to be used for other priorities, like
education. Limiting the session will also improve government
efficiency. Under our current system, the long session now
begins in January, with the election of each chamber’s
leadership. Then, while we are in session, it takes at least
another month for new leaders to assign committees, choose
committee chairmen and complete dozens of appointments that
must be made before bills can be discussed and legislation
approved.
Under my bill, each chamber would come into session right
after the election, choose its leaders and then adjourn for a
month to allow the legislature to get organized. Just this
simple reform alone would cut at least a month off the length
of the current session and save thousands of dollars.
But perhaps the most important argument for session limits is
that it will protect North Carolina’s “citizen
legislature” – the simple principle that being a lawmaker
should not be the work of professional, full-time politicians.
Rather, our state is founded on the idea that lawmakers should
be teachers and business people and others from all walks of
life – not just those who are retired or who have the means
to support themselves while the legislature meets month after
month.
Without session limits, the ideal of the citizen legislature
will become a relic of the past and the pool of qualified
people willing to spend months away from their jobs and their
families to serve in public office will dwindle. Once that
happens, we will have a legislature made up of people with
little connection to the lives of real North Carolina families
and businesses.
It’s my hope that this year’s legislative session and its
dubious distinction of being the longest in state history will
spark renewed interest in session limits when the General
Assembly returns in May for its “short” session. With
NCCBI’s help, let’s hope that 2002 will be the year we
ensure that all legislative sessions do the work of improving
North Carolina – and do it in a reasonable amount of time.
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