No one leaves the Texas State Senate without a few legislative regrets. High on my list is the failure—but not for want of trying over four years—to implement term limits.
Now, every schoolchild in the state is taught the dangers of lifetime political office, usually by way of old King George. Every adult seems to have forgotten the lesson. So, it may come as a surprise that while our elected officeholders in Austin do not serve by royal appointment, they can indeed serve an infinite number of terms. Who needs the British monarchy when we do such a fine job entrenching our own political class!
Whether it’s ignorance, apathy, or confidence—politicians of both parties have bamboozled the public. Our lack of term limits is harming Texas citizens.
To better appreciate the need for term limits, it is helpful first to understand the psychology of the career politician. To do this, let’s start with the freshman member. He is excited and energized. The promises of the campaign trail are still fresh in mind. “I’ve been elected to get things done,” he reflects. The incentive of re-election remains before him.
After a few terms, the mentality shifts. Now a career politician propped up nicely by powerful special interests, he has confidence his well-oiled political machine will keep humming so long as he does not monkey under the hood. Consequently, his political decision-making tacks in favor of the lobbyists and monied men who keep him in office. He plays it safe. He is increasingly isolated from his constituents, more entrenched in the political establishment. He knows who butters his bread, and who circles the wagon. Life is good, and reelection rates are a healthy 95 percent—why take risks? Politicians just give lip service to the voters on the campaign trail, knowing they will never have to be held accountable for those promises.
The voter does not see a shift in perspective but ends up feeling the results. The same status quo bills are introduced and passed. Any meaningful legislation is watered down thanks to the back-room pork trade. And this psychological enervation happens, to be clear, to any office holder that is not term-limited.
The solution, however, is easy. Introduce term limits. Once set, just like our free-market economic system, we will see healthy competition and innovative ideas from newcomers, as past office-holders step down. The constraints of time will incline representatives toward action. Special interests will find their secret purchasing power curtailed.
The legislation I filed in the Texas Senate proposed the following, which I revived recently through the Huffines Liberty Foundation. First, 8-year term limits for governors and all other statewide elected officials. Second, cap the limit for every other elected office in Texas—from judges all the way down to HOA—to 12 years. Finally, 6-year limits for committee chairs and Speaker of the House. These limits are, I think, reasonable, crucially allowing elected officials time to execute their promises to the people.
I encourage you to think hard about what causes the Swamp in Austin. At the moment, nowhere in this freedom-loving state of ours do laws requiring term limits for elected public positions exist. Since both the Texas Republican and Democrat platforms are in favor of term limits, of course, many politicians clamor and bang about it … until it comes time to act. Then bills mysteriously die in committee.
Well, my friends, consider the curtain peeled back. Unsurprisingly, no legislation on term limits was filed this session. We have time to change this.
Don Huffines is a former State Senator, self-made businessman, and proud fifth-generation Texan. You can keep up with his work advancing liberty, prosperity, and virtue at HuffinesLiberty.com and follow him @DonHuffines on Twitter and other social media. Huffines’ column, Liberty Report, runs weekly in The Dallas Express.