Staggered terms

A bill calling for state senators’ terms to be staggered was passed by the House Civil Law and Elections committee last year, but never got before the full House. Hoping it doesn’t suffer the same fate this year, Rep. Laura Brod (R-New Prague) presented HF333 to the same committee on March 20.

The change would require an amendment to the constitution, and her bill asks that the question be placed on the 2006 general election ballot.

Under current law, House members are elected every two years, and senators are elected to four-year terms in years ending with 2 and 6, such as 2002 and 2006, and two-year terms in years ending in 0, such as 2000.

If enacted into law, beginning in 2012, senators elected from off-numbered districts would serve a pattern of 2-4-4 year terms each decade. Senators elected from even-numbered districts would serve a pattern of 4-4-2 year terms each decade, according to information from the House Research Department.

The companion bill, SF 0425, is sponsored by Sen. Geoff Michel (R-Edina), and awaits action by the Senate Elections Committee.