Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer Passes Bill to Limit Statewide Office Terms

JEFFERSON CITY — All statewide office holders in Missouri could serve only two terms of office if legislation sponsored by State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, continues its advance through the legislative process and is eventually approved by voters.

Senate Joint Resolution 14 and 9, which combines two similar measures, imposes the same two-term limit of service on Missouri’s lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and auditor that currently applies to the governor and state treasurer. Senator Luetkemeyer’s resolution, which requires a statewide vote to amend the constitution, was approved by the Missouri Senate and now moves to the House of Representatives.

“This legislation brings consistency to Missouri’s term limit law and ends an arbitrary distinction that applied to two statewide offices, but not four others,” Sen. Luetkemeyer said. “It’s important that citizens have an opportunity to serve in statewide office, but people should not be making a career out of public service. I believe that term limits are a healthy thing for our democracy and are emphatically supported by voters.”

Under current law, the governor and state treasurer may serve no more than two four-year terms, but the terms of other statewide office holders are unlimited. Members of the Legislature may serve eight years in the House of Representatives and eight years in the Senate. Current legislative limits are not affected by SJR 14 and 9. Voters would be asked to approve the measure in November 2020. Terms began by the four currently unrestricted statewide office holders prior to the law’s enactment would not count toward the new limits.

For more information about Sen. Luetkemeyer, visit www.senate.mo.gov/luetkemeyer.