N.C. House to Vote on Putting Judicial Term Length on Ballot

The bill, passed by House Judiciary I Committee on Tuesday, states that residents will vote in November on a constitutional amendment to increase term limits from four to eight years.

The N.C. Senate approved the bill earlier in session. The full House must now put the bill to a vote.

The legislation was on the House floor once before, but Republican opposition sent the bill to committee without a vote for further consideration.

Republican leaders expressed concerns that the bill would inhibit GOP judicial candidates trying to defeat the the many Democratic judges already in office, said committee Chairman Rep. Joe Hackney, D-Orange.

"(I think they said) the bill would have the effect of perpetuating it," he said.

But House Minority Leader Leo Daughtry, R-Johnston, said opposition to the bill stems from concerns about putting inexperienced judges in office for almost a decade.

"These are entry-level judges," he said. "Eight years is an awfully long time. This is the (judge) closest to the people."

He added that the bill will affect both parties equally.

But he also emphasized that he thinks many Democrats are scared by the increase in Republican judges elected during the past decade.

"Up until 10 years ago, there were no Republican judges," he said. "As time went on, (North Carolina) became a two-party state. Voters clearly believe that the Republican label means judges more capable of administering justice."

But Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, said he hopes party politics do not get in the way of the importance of district court judges to the administration of justice.

He added that because district court judge elections are nonpartisan, frequent elections expose candidates to unnecessary bias.

"(Judges) don't need to be coming to the polls so often that they are swayed by political pressures," he said.

Hackney said he thinks the bill would benefit judges by increasing their job stability. "(They) can count on an eight-year term," he said. "They'll be assured."

He said that based on feedback from other legislators, he expects the bill to pass the full House.

Rand added that he expects residents will give serious consideration to the issue before voting in November.

"I would think this is a responsible way to deal with it," he said. "I think the voters will feel the same."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.