Initiative would relax Calif. term limits

SACRAMENTO, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- A coalition led by Democratic and Republican consultants Thursday launched a ballot initiative to relax California's law on term limits for public officials.

The proposed change would allow the Legislature's current leaders to stay in office as long as six more years, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The measure would reduce the number of years someone could hold office in the legislature from 14 to 12, but it would permit an elected official to serve the entire length of time in a single house, the newspaper said.

If California voters approve the initiative, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez could serve six more years in the Assembly and state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata could stay in the state Senate for four more years, the Times reported. Under current law, both are scheduled to leave their respective houses in 2008.

California voters approved term limits in 1990.

The campaign on behalf of the initiative will be managed by Democratic consultant Gale Kaufman and GOP campaign strategist Matthew Dowd.