Assembly Will Consider Term Limits Bill Next Week

Making good on his promise to deal with Mayor Bloomberg, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries is sponsoring a bill to rescind the Mayor and Council's action that extended term limits from eight to twelve years. Next week, the bill will get its shot at moving through the Legislature, even if it is a slim one.

From PolitickerNY:

On February 25, the day Michael Bloomberg meets with Republican County leaders, members of the Democrat-controlled Assembly will consider a bill to block the term-limits extension that allows Bloomberg to run for a third term.

The bill is sponsored by Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn.

Here's info on that bill, courtesy of a helpful reader in Albany:

Election Law (DIAZ)

9:00 AM, Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Room 715 LOB

1224-A JEFFRIES, COLTON, MOLINARO, JAFFEE, DIAZ, PEOPLES, KOLB, MILLMAN, BENJAMIN, KAVANAGH, PERRY, PERALTA, BOYLAND, LANCMAN, WEPRIN, WRIGHT, TOWNS, POWELL, ROBINSON, P. RIVERA--

An act to amend the election law, in relation to requiring voter approval for the abolition or modification of term limits for certain elected offices.

While there are a few names attached to the bill (including my own Assemblyman Mr. Kavanagh), it isn't hardly enough to ensure passage. The CW on this is that the chances of actually blocking Bloomberg's re-election camapaign is somewhere between nil and none. While the bill is likely to fail and my hopes of it succeeding are near the CW, getting press on the action is the most crucial part of this.

When Bloomberg pressed Council Members to vote his way, he said that voters will forget that they did an end-run on the democratic process. With actions such as Mr. Jeffries, we will continue to remind New York City that Mr. Bloomberg and twenty-nine Council members disrespected the will of the voters when they passed term limits not once, but twice. Mike may think he is a shrewd politician and an omnipresent one with the backing of his billions, but with enough force, even King Bloomberg can be dethroned.