Term limits proposal fails to reach November ballot

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A measure to change the state’s term limits law failed to qualify for the November ballot, but backers say it is likely to be before voters in 2012.

The measure would allow lawmakers to serve 12 years in either legislative house and would do away with the current limits of three two-year Assembly terms and two four-year Senate terms. The proposal is backed by the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. It is opposed by U.S. Term Limits.

Proponents submitted more than 970,000 signatures to county election officials. Counties then conducted a random sampling of those signatures to check validity rates in every county. In order to skip a full count of signatures, a measure must be on track to return 763,790 valid signatures. The term-limits proposal fell short of that threshold and must now go through the full counting process.

That is expected to carry beyond the June 24 deadline for measures to qualify for the November ballot. Matt Klink, a spokesman for the initiative, said supporters were disappointed that the measure would not be before voters in November but are confident that they will qualify for the 2012 ballot after a full count is complete.

-- Anthony York