California Legislature Passes February 2008 Presidential Primary Bill

As MadProfessah mentioned earlier, California has been considering adding a third statewide election on February 5, 2008 to the June 3, 2008 statewide primary and the November 4, 2008 presidential election. Yesterday, the California Assembly passed SB 113 by a
vote of 46-29 to move the Presidential Primary election to February 5, 2008. Governor Schwarzenegger has previously announced his support for the idea.

California will likely join nearly 20 other states to form a "Super Duper Tuesday" Primary Day where nearly half the United States population will be living in a state with a presidential vote on February 5 of next year.

However, what really is behind the move of California's presidential primary election (without moving the statewide presidential primary) is the political ambitions of California's legislative leaders Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Senate Leader Don Perata who would both be barred from seeking re-election in November 2008 and termed out of their positions according to the current statewide term-limits law. However, with a February 2008 election a ballot proposition (which is currently being circulated for citizen signatures) can be put before voters to relax term limits and take away redistricting powers from the state legislature.

The current term limits law allows three 2-year terms in the State Assembly and two 4-year terms in the State Senate for a total of at most fourteen years of service in the State Legislature (at a salary exceeding $100,000 per year). The proposed amendment would reduce the total time served to 12 years but would force it to all be served in one chamber (6 terms in the Assembly or 3 terms in the Senate). This would allow Perata to serve another 4 more years and Nunez another 6 years.

MadProfessah thinks that the current term limits (which was enacted by a 1990 ballot proposition which passed 52-48) is simply too strict and should be amended. If Californians get an increased say in presidential politics as a bonus then that is icing on the cake.