16-year limit proposed for Florida lawmakers
TALLAHASSEE - State lawmakers would be restricted to serving a total of 16 years in the Legislature under a proposed constitutional amendment filed by Republican Sen. Blaise Ingoglia.
The measure (SJR 536) would allow legislators to serve eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate, "regardless of whether such service was consecutive or nonconsecutive."
Ingoglia, a close ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, filed the proposal amid a dispute over the state's term-limits law.
"This practice of legislators terming out and continually running for the same office is ludicrous and must stop! Serving the people of Florida should be a privilege, and an honor, not a career," Ingoglia said in a news release.
Ingoglia, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, filed the proposal after the state Division of Elections on Wednesday cited the term-limits law in blocking Republican Rep. Debbie Mayfield from running in a special election in Senate District 19.
Mayfield left the Senate seat in November because of term limits but wants to run in the special election after her successor, Sen. Randy Fine, submitted his resignation to run for Congress.
Mayfield, who was elected to the House in November, filed an emergency petition Thursday at the Florida Supreme Court challenging the Division of Elections decision to block her from running. Mayfield's lawyers argued that elections officials overstepped their authority by refusing to qualify her for the special election.
Ingoglia's proposal is filed for the legislative session that will start March 4.
