I was ambivalent about term limits back in 1990, as were many Californians. One of the main arguments for term limits then was that they would act to remove the highly effective and highly partisan speaker of the assembly, Willie Brown. Brown reigned as speaker from 1980 to 1995 — 15 years with the gavel. There have been 13 speakers in the 29 years since then.

However, in the 34 years since California voters passed term limits, I’ve seen how they’ve weakened lawmakers’ power while shifting that power to unelected bureaucrats in the executive branch and lobbyists representing labor unions, large corporations, and other special interest groups. ...

The Texas Legislature, while having no term limits, still experiences significant turnover but also benefits from having long-serving legislators who provide continuity and expertise. In contrast, California’s term limits lead to higher turnover, with lawmakers often being pushed out of office due to term limits, thus lacking the continuity seen in states like Texas.