We need Term Limits…Desperately!

Throughout the United States of America and in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there are many disenfranchised Millennials. Millennials who can’t make sense of the political process and/or how to get involved. Many wonder if getting involved can even make a difference. Based on the low voter turnout over the last couple years for local and state elections (Philadelphia County and the Commonwealth of PA), it’s safe to say that Millennials have turned off the channel relating to local and state politics.
There are parts of me that say no matter what Millennials should be more engaged than ever to help shape public policy and improve our communities. There is another part of me that quite frankly understands why the banner share of Millennials laugh at the very thought of getting involved in local and state politics. Seeing the same elected officials for decades has made our generation numb to the political process.
One of the biggest things that I hear from Millennials in Philadelphia and across the state is how stale the political process and it’s players are. Much of this has to do with the fact that for positions like State Senator and State Representative in Harrisburg and City Council in Philadelphia, there are no term limits. Zero term limits.
This is a problem. A very big problem. Per the U.S. Term Limits website, only 15 state legislatures in the country have passed term limits legislation and 8 of the 10 largest cities have done the same (Philadelphia County not being one of the 8). Here is a breakdown of currently elected officials in the PA House of Representatives that lists when they first took office.
Across the country, state legislatures like Arizona, Florida, Michigan and Ohio have enacted legislation creating term limits of 4 term limits (8 years) for House and 2 terms (8 years) for Senate. The voters in these states supported this legislation and I think PA voters would also support Term Limits for in Harrisburg and Philadelphia County.
If we want to get serious about challenging the status quo and creating meaningful change for our community then we (Millennials) need to get behind term limits in Harrisburg and Philadelphia. When I run for public office, rest assured that pushing for Term Limits legislation would be part of my policy platform. I think 8 years is plenty of time to create new and effective legislation while improving your community. Do you agree?
