State Public Defender bill add term limits to new board. Unlike the PUC, which still has no term limits.

@SoDakCampaigns

From the Argus Leader comes an article on the proposed statewide public defender’s office for those who can’t afford a lawyer, but House members stress they want to see term limits:

The House of Representatives voted 60-4 on Thursday to create the office and the accompanying commission.

Added into the bill was a stipulation for term limits. Rep. Chris Karr, R-Sioux Falls, requested that the nine members of the Commission on Indigent Legal Services not serve more than 12 years on the commission.

“I think it is responsible to have a term limit on appointed and elected positions,” Karr said. “If you believe that an elected politician should have a term limit, then in most cases you would want a term limit on individuals that that person has appointed and may have influence upon going forward.”

Read it here.

Sorry, but why are they insisting on demanding term limits here “on appointed and elected positions”.. when a bill was killed earlier this session in the House to put term limits on Public Utility Commission members?

Just asking.

(And no I don’t buy the line on it being a “specialty office” of a higher degree than I would someone serving on the Commission on Indigent Legal Services. )

2 thoughts on “State Public Defender bill add term limits to new board. Unlike the PUC, which still has no term limits.”

  1. Great question PP. I sort of expected an amendment to the primary bill earlier this week as well. Since they think they know better than the general GOP primary voter, wouldn’t it make sense for the convention just to pick our Governor and Congressional candidates? I mean those are the smartest people and they volunteer for the campaigns.

  2. If it is an office requiring speciality knowledge, shouldn’t there be more specific qualifications?

    I’m thinking about our current and former PUC commissioners, and really none of them had any specific qualifications for the job. Not to say they are bad people or do a bad job. Chris Nelson had been in the SOS office forever. Kristie Fiegen was a legislator and ran a non-profit. Gary Hanson had been mayor and city commissioner – I guess he had some oversight over city utilities but that’s a pretty different thing. Same with many of the past.

Comments are closed.