Berger: Legislative Leaders’ Tenure Should Mirror the Governor’s

Stressing the need to balance the power between North Carolina’s executive and legislative branches, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) on Wednesday offered a compromise term-limits proposal that would ensure legislative leaders and the governor are limited to the same time in office.

The North Carolina Senate on Monday approved a constitutional amendment limiting the House speaker and Senate president pro tempore to eight consecutive years in those roles – the same as the current limits on the governor and lieutenant governor.

After hearing concerns that the Senate proposal kept the legislative terms too long, Berger proposed a two-term (four year) limit for legislative leaders and a one-term (four year) limit for the governor – ensuring they are in office no longer than four consecutive years. Virginia prevents its governors from serving consecutive four-year terms.

“I’m confident we will reach a compromise with the House, but to better balance the power between the two branches of government, leadership in both should be limited to the same number of years,” Berger said.

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