Proposition 28 will be on and would alter term limits for some of California's elected officials.
According to the Los Angeles Times, lawmakers are currently limited to three two-year terms in the Assembly and two four-year terms in the Senate, for a total of 14 years in the Legislature. Prop. 28 would limit lawmakers to 12 years in the Legislature but allow all of those years to be served in one house—be it the Assembly or the Senate.
The term limits of elected officials serving now would not be impacted if the measure is passed.
Those in favor of the proposition say current term limits don't offer enough time for elected officials to settle in their posts and that many end up using much of their time in office to plan their next election campaign. As the Times reports:
Proponents contend that existing law doesn't give people enough time in one office to fully master complex issues and the lawmaking process. They also say lawmakers spend too much time fundraising for the leap from one legislative house to the other—usually from the Assembly to the Senate.
The Times also notes the views of opponents, who argue that the measure would make it harder for average citizens to get elected because incumbents would be able to serve more terms. According to some against the proposition:
...the measure would double the amount of time a politician could spend in the Assembly and raise by 50 percent the amount of time someone could spend in the Senate, even while cutting two years off the total permitted in the Legislature.
- Full story: New Fight Takes Shape Over Term Limits [Los Angeles Times]
