The North Dakota House has turned down a proposed Constitutional amendment that would have made changes to the term limits amendment passed by voters.
However, it could be brought back for another vote.
SCR 4008 would allow legislators to serve up to four complete terms in the Legislature. It would also repeal section 4 of amended Article !5 of the state Constitution, which said the Legislature could not propose any amendments dealing with Legislative term limits. That section was placed on the ballot and approved by initiative petition.
"Right here, we are going to basically going to try to tell the people that the work they had done — their citizen right to petition — we're not okay with that," said Rep. Lori VanWinkle (R-Minot). "From the inside out, we are going to break this Constitutional provision that you placed on us."
But the measure’s supporters say another section of the state Constitution gives the Legislature the right to propose amendments. And Rep. Bernie Satrom (R-Jamestown) questioned whether voters intended to term-limit legislators.
"There were questions about the signatures," Satrom said. "There were questions about how it was promoted. 'Term limit Congress.' We're not Congress."
Satrom said several people have told him they didn't know it was not about Congress.
"We shouldn't be afraid to put this before the people," Satrom said. "Let's settle this for good."
The vote was 46 yes, 43 no. But it needed a majority of the elected members, which would have been 48.
