Opponents: Measure A 'Trojan Horse'

A proposal on the November ballot is a "Trojan horse" designed to slip a provision for longer terms for lawmakers past voters, opponents say. One of those opponents towed a wooden horse statue to Benton County on Wednesday to make that point.

The allegation ignores the history of trying to get ethics measures through the Legislature, the legislative sponsors of the measure replied.

"Video of my presentation on the House floor to get this passed is still available at the Legislature's website," said Rep. Warwick Sabin, D-Little Rock, House sponsor. "It was as open a process as it could possibly be, reported on in print and television every step of the way. I tried to get the ethics measures passed by themselves. They weren't going anywhere."

The proposed state constitutional amendment goes before the voters Nov. 4. The Legislature placed the measure on the ballot. It would prohibit direct political contributions from corporations and unions to political candidates; require lawmakers to be out of office for two years instead of one before they can become lobbyists; place stricter limits on campaign donations and gifts from lobbyists; and establish an independent voters commission to set salaries for lawmakers and other elected officials.

The Legislature could pass all of that in any legislative session, said Bob Porto of Little Rock, spokesman for Arkansas Term Limits. The only part of the measure that requires voter approval is one that would change the state's constitutional amendment limiting lawmaker terms.

The current maximums are three terms in the House and two full terms in the Senate. House members serve two-year terms. Regular Senate terms are four years. The proposal -- Referred Issue 3 -- would lengthen those limits to a total of 16 years that can be served in either chamber or a mix of both.

"It's written so that voters will think they're voting for ethics when what they'd really be doing is allowing their legislators to become career politicians," Porto said.

Porto and supporters held a news conference Wednesdays outside public libraries in Rogers and Bentonville, towing a rough-hewed carving of a horse on a trailer. Porto's group was behind the successful drive for term limits in 1992.

Packaging the term-limit extension with the sought-after ethics reform wasn't an attempt to get anything past voters, but a necessary step to get lawmakers to place the measure on the ballot, said said Senate sponsor Sen. Jon Woods, R-Springdale.

"The proposed ban on gifts was dead, with almost no support in the House or Senate," Woods said. "Having no union or corporate donations was dead. It was probably the least popular proposal of all of them."

"You can say these measures can be passed" by the Legislature, Woods said, "but it won't ever happen."