After passing a controversial bill to put a constitutional amendment defining gay marriage on a referendum during its first day of a special session, the N.C. General Assembly debated a less contentious subject — term limits for legislative leaders.
Another one of the items up for discussion, an amendment which would reorganize the State Board of Education, was “lost in the shuffle,” said Jordan Shaw, communications director for Speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives Thom Tillis.
He said discussion on the term limits bill was bipartisan.
“People are generally in favor of term limits,” Shaw said. “Currently, someone can serve as long as they want if they are elected.”
“It will be a bipartisan issue that prevents the corruption of politics,” he said.
The bill is in a conference committee made up of both Senate and House members, Shaw said.
The center of debate is how long the term limit should be — Tillis is pushing for a compromise of three terms.
The bill will likely be passed, Shaw said.
“It’s a policy that everyone agrees on, and there’s just disagreement on the number of terms,” he said.
The special session ended Wednesday, so voting on the bill to enact term limits and the amendment on Board of Education reform could happen in November, when the legislature reconvenes.
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