Rep. Marlin Schneider, D-Wisconsin Rapids, is right when he says "legislators spend way too much time campaigning."
Particularly, state Assembly members seem to be perpetually on the campaign trail because their terms only are two years long. Rep. Steve Hilgenberg, D-Dodgeville, had an opponent for his next election less than seven months after he won his first re-election bid in November 2008.
Schneider's proposed solution to the constant campaign cycle? Lengthen lawmakers' terms. Specifically, Schneider says state Senate terms should be six years instead of four, and Assembly terms should last four years. He wants a constitutional amendment, and spoke about the issue last week during a public hearing in Madison.
"The (other) purpose is to try to cut down on the cost of elections, which is totally out of control," Schneider told the Stevens Point Journal.
Again, Schneider is right. The cost of elections has gotten totally out of control. The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign reported that a record $20.2 million was spent in last November's legislative races. The 80th District campaign, won by Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, was among the races where "spending hovered between $400,000 and $650,000," the WDC reported.
The solution, however, can't simply be to let lawmakers have longer terms, and therefore less accountability to the voting public. Term limits aren't the answer, either. They take away a voter's ability to return to office lawmakers who they like and trust.
The answer isn't longer terms. It's shorter campaign cycles, and restrictions on how and when money can be raised. The length of terms doesn't dictate how long a campaign is, political contributions do. The more money raised, the more a candidate campaigns.
Rather than proposing amendments that would diminish the voters' participation in the legislative process, we'd prefer Schneider and others work on reducing the influence businesses, industries and special interests enjoy.
Particularly, state Assembly members seem to be perpetually on the campaign trail because their terms only are two years long. Rep. Steve Hilgenberg, D-Dodgeville, had an opponent for his next election less than seven months after he won his first re-election bid in November 2008.
Schneider's proposed solution to the constant campaign cycle? Lengthen lawmakers' terms. Specifically, Schneider says state Senate terms should be six years instead of four, and Assembly terms should last four years. He wants a constitutional amendment, and spoke about the issue last week during a public hearing in Madison.
"The (other) purpose is to try to cut down on the cost of elections, which is totally out of control," Schneider told the Stevens Point Journal.
Again, Schneider is right. The cost of elections has gotten totally out of control. The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign reported that a record $20.2 million was spent in last November's legislative races. The 80th District campaign, won by Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, was among the races where "spending hovered between $400,000 and $650,000," the WDC reported.
The solution, however, can't simply be to let lawmakers have longer terms, and therefore less accountability to the voting public. Term limits aren't the answer, either. They take away a voter's ability to return to office lawmakers who they like and trust.
The answer isn't longer terms. It's shorter campaign cycles, and restrictions on how and when money can be raised. The length of terms doesn't dictate how long a campaign is, political contributions do. The more money raised, the more a candidate campaigns.
Rather than proposing amendments that would diminish the voters' participation in the legislative process, we'd prefer Schneider and others work on reducing the influence businesses, industries and special interests enjoy.
