North Dakota lawmakers set to study impact of term limits

BISMARCK — North Dakota lawmakers are set to study the impact of term limits voters approved last fall.

The state House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 15, passed Senate Bill 2192 by Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, R-Minot, in a 91-2 vote.

The Senate in January unanimously passed the bill, which now goes to Gov. Doug Burgum.

Last year, 63% of voters approved Measure 1 for term limits of eight cumulative years each in the House and the Senate. The governor cannot be elected to more than two four-year terms. Term limits are not retroactive, meaning the service of current officeholders does not count against them.

Lawmakers have decried the term limits for reducing the institutional knowledge of the Legislature. Burgum supported the measure.

The mandatory 2023-24 interim study will look at whether to provide more educational opportunities for lawmakers, whether to increase the number of Legislative Council policy staff, and whether to hold annual sessions.

Any proposed legislation would go to the 2025 Legislature.

The House on Tuesday approved of proposed 2024 measures for voters to decide whether to replace the 2022 term limits with more years for lawmakers to serve, and whether to give the Legislature more days to meet in session every two years. Those resolutions go to the Senate.