Lincoln Ballot Measures For This November

Last week I wrote an article about term limits where I lay out my opposition to them, despite the visceral appeal that they have for most people. Republican operatives just got a petition certified that would limit the terms of Lincoln City Council members, setting the stage for it to appear on the ballot in November. In all likelihood, it will pass, just as the mayoral term limits passed a few years ago. As is my habit, I asked myself "why?" when I saw this come up. 

The first thing to understand is that isn't an effort by a group of citizens who want to improve the functioning of local government. On the contrary, it's sponsored by right wing partisans frustrated by their inability to elect Republicans in Nebraska's second-largest city. Republicans in the legislature have gotten a constitutional amendment on the ballot to increase their term limit from two terms to three. 

The sponsors of Lincoln's term limit petition have also gotten one other change approved for a vote of the people: a change in when Lincoln holds its elections. Currently Lincoln votes in odd numbered years, when statewide lections occur in even numbered years. As part of that change, the mayor and district city councilors elected in 2027 will only serve for one year, which will count as a term for term limit purposes. At-large councilors elected in 2025 will have their term extended one year to 2030. How this is supposed to make for better government I fail to comprehend. Maybe they think that there is more Republican turnout in years when there is a presidential election, which the mayoral and district city council elections will align with if this passes. 

A third petition that has not yet had its signatures certified allows Lancaster County residents in the 3 mile buffer around city limits to vote in Lincoln elections. (They are already affected by Lincoln zoning regulations, but pay no Lincoln taxes). If I had to guess, I'd wager that many of these voters are Republicans. 

I'm against term limits in principle, but I'm really against this one. Don't let your gut opposition to perpetual office holders lead you to support this Republican con job. 

Since I wrote this the Lincoln City Council determined that these measures did not meet the deadline for putting the measures on the November ballot; they would be on the May 2027 ballot instead.