Voters will decide whether to extend legislative term limits; sponsor isn’t holding his breath

LINCOLN — A ballot measure to extend legislative term limits passed 39-10 in the Nebraska Legislature, but the state lawmaker who brought it is less confident the proposal has the momentum to succeed with voters.

“I will guarantee if the people across Nebraska knew what I know and what people down here do know, it would pass overwhelmingly,” said state Sen. Rob Dover of Norfolk. “The problem is we just can’t get it out there.”

Dover introduced Legislative Resolution 19CA last year, seeking to allow lawmakers to serve up to three consecutive four-year terms, instead of two. It will appear on the 2026 ballot as Constitutional Amendment 1.

Nebraskans implemented the current limits of two four-year terms for state senators via a voter-led initiative in 2000. It passed with 55.8% of the vote. Senators can sit out one term after being term-limited and run again.

Supporters of the constitutional amendment knew getting voter approval would be an uphill battle.

While Dover said he thinks the general public is largely fed up with “career politicians,” he believes the Legislature’s unicameral structure comes with bigger disadvantages to term limits. Nebraska has the smallest Legislature in the nation with 49 seats. Because the state’s legislative sessions alternate between 60-90 days each year, Dover said, eight years in office translates to about two-and-a-half years in session.

Dover said he didn’t do much campaigning independently for the ballot measure. He said several lobbying groups expressed support for the idea, including the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and the Nebraska Farm Bureau, but none were willing to donate enough money for a dedicated campaign.

Dover, who is in his fourth year in office, said he suspects that some special interest groups want legislative term limits to remain shorter. For multiple sessions, he said, he has watched freshmen senators get pulled into introducing “bad bills” after facing pressure from the lobby.