Iron Range State Sens. Tom Bakk and David Tomassoni have authored legislation that would extend state senate terms from four years to six and state house terms from two years to four. The amendment, if passed into law, would go to Minnesota voters for approval. The move would save public money and reduce the amount of special interest influence, according to Bakk in this story by Jon Collins, the legislative correspondent for several Range newspapers.
Because I’m sure that the $5,000 annual PAC limit would never be accumulated by incumbent senators in the down years so that they go into their re-election campaigns with $30,000 banked plus an even greater sum raised from individuals with relative ease. I am absolutely certain that this move would eliminate political power plays and electioneering at the legislature. I’m also sure this bill in no way reinforces damaging stereotypes about Iron Range cronyism. I’m equally sure I’m about to overdose on sarcasm, requiring an insulin shot directly to my heart.
Gack. Good luck with this one.
Good God! Isn’t Tom Bakk running for Governor? Let’s see, that would probably be the first thing on my agenda if I were Tom…or not.
This is exactly the sort of thing that disenfranchises voters in mass. There are acutally four major political classes of Americans: Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and Don’t-Give-a-@#$&’s.
Voters who would vote Democratic in elections, but opt out because of nepotistic, cronyistic, foolish Democrats fall into the last category.