A.G. Gancarski
While a similar measure is stalled in the Senate, the House has passed legislation (HJR 679) that would put an amendment on the November 2026 ballot to impose hard restrictions on members of School Boards and County Commissions.
The measure, approved by an 82-33 margin, proposes setting eight-year term limits for County Commissions and School Boards, though terms of office that started before the 2022 General Election would be off the clock under the current language.
Republican Rep. Michelle Salzman, who originally introduced the legislation, took questions from skeptical Democrats about her plan to “let the voters decide” since “the counties are not putting it on the ballot.”
Democratic Rep. Lindsay Cross wondered if 12-year term limits enacted by local voters would be subject to revision under this scheme; they would be.
She also suggested that legal “challenges” from counties may result from this proposal.
Democratic Rep. Allison Tant wondered if it was “fair” to have big counties make decisions that affect “fiscally constrained counties,” where many long-term elected officials serve for much longer than eight years at a stretch.
“I don’t have an answer to what you do if you can’t find somebody to run,” Salzman said.
During structured debate, Democrats voiced similar qualms about the proposal.
Democratic Rep. Ashley Gantt said the bill “disenfranchises small counties” and works at their “detriment and peril.”
“This is not a fair vote for voters,” the Miami legislator cautioned.
Democratic Rep. Michele Rayner said the bill is another attempt to “defy the will of people in local government.”
Democratic Rep. Felicia Robinson said “this is not an American bill” and that the legislative branch “can do better than this.”
While the House is on board with this, time is running out in the Senate.
Republican Sen. Blaise Ingoglia’s measure (SJR 802) hasn’t had a committee hearing in a month, and it has two stops before reaching the floor.
