![JacobPorto](http://www.termlimits.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/JacobPorto-300x202.jpg)
by Nick Tomboulides
It’s tough to tell who’s more whiny and persistent: children on a road trip asking “are we there yet?” or politicians asking citizens “have you changed your mind yet?” about term limits.
Every piece of data shows that, not only have people not changed their minds, but greater numbers are embracing term limits now than ever before. Citizens collected 600,000 signatures to put term limits up for a vote in Illinois last year before a court ruling threw their measure off the ballot.
Now, as legislators comically claim Americans love career politicians, citizens in three states are disputing that narrative by launching grassroots campaigns for term limits.
Mississippi is the first battleground, where former U.S. Senate candidate Chris McDaniel’s PAC has started gathering signatures to put a measure on the 2016 ballot that would limit lawmakers and statewide officeholders to eight consecutive years in office.
McDaniel says his goal “is increase participation and make elective office more accessible to people who want to serve.” Various studies show that’s exactly what term limits do.
Residents of Utah are also fighting back against the establishment by starting Utah Term Limits NOW, a ballot drive to term limit the state’s five highest-ranking executive offices, including the Governor and Attorney General. State Auditor John Dougall, who would be personally affected by the limits, thinks the idea is a good one. Term limits bring “new change, new insight, a new perspective to what is going on,” he told press.
Arkansas citizens had their term limits ripped away by a legislative scam last year, but they’re back to counterpunch against careerism and cronyism with a fresh initiative. Restore Term Limits, launched by USTL Director Tim Jacob and Arkansas activist Bob Porto, would bring back the state’s original six and eight-year term limits, along with a 10-year overall cap on service in the legislature. The measure also bars legislators from tinkering with their own term limits in the future — a very smart move.
If politicians and their special interest kingmakers believe the American people have stopped demanding term limits, they must not be paying attention to us. Then again, that wouldn’t be a new development.
Nick Tomboulides is Executive Director of U.S. Term Limits