Session of 1998
                   
House Concurrent Resolution No. 5040
         
By Representative Edmonds
         
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            9             A PROPOSITION to amend section 2 of article 2 of the constitution of
10             the state of Kansas, relating to members of the senate and house of
11             representatives.
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14             Be it resolved by the Legislature of the State of Kansas, two-thirds of the
15             members elected (or appointed) and qualified to the House of Repre-
16             sentatives and two-thirds of the members elected (or appointed) and
17             qualified to the Senate concurring therein:
18                 Section 1. The following proposition to amend the constitution of the
19       state of Kansas shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the state
20       for their approval or rejection: Section 2 of article 2 of the constitution
21       of the state of Kansas is hereby amended to read as follows:
22                 ``§ 2. Senators and representatives. The number of repre-
23             sentatives and senators shall be regulated by law, but shall not ex-
24             ceed one hundred twenty-five representatives and forty senators.
25             Representatives and senators shall be elected from single-member
26             districts prescribed by law. Representatives shall be elected for two
27             year terms. Senators shall be elected for four year terms. The terms
28             of representatives and senators shall commence on the second
29             Monday of January of the year following election. Except as other-
30             wise hereinafter provided, no person shall be elected at any general
31             election for more than three successive four-year terms as a member
32             of the senate, and no person shall be elected at any general election
33             for more than six successive two-year terms as a member of the
34             house of representatives. Any person filing a ballot access petition
35             in the manner prescribed by law which is signed by qualified elec-
36             tors of the district equal in number to not less than 20% of the total
37             number of electors of the district who voted for the office of the
38             secretary of state at the last general election for such office, may
39             become a candidate for and may be elected, in the manner pre-
40             scribed by law, to successive terms of office in the senate and house
41             of representatives in excess of the limitations hereinbefore pre-
42             scribed.''
43           Sec. 2. The following statement shall be printed on the ballot with
44       the amendment as a whole:
45              ``Explanatory statement. The purpose of this amendment is to

HCR 5040

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  1             limit the number of terms for which a person can be elected as a
  2             member of the senate and house of representatives except upon
  3             the filing of a sufficient petition signed by qualified electors of the
  4             district requesting that a person be permitted to be elected to an
  5             additional successive term.
  6              ``A vote for this amendment favors limiting the number of terms
  7             for which a person can be elected as a member of the senate and
  8             house of representatives but reserving to the qualified electors of
  9             the district the right to petition for the right of a designated person
10             to be allowed to be elected to an additional successive term.
11              ``A vote against this amendment favors retaining the present lan-
12             guage of the constitution which places no limit upon the number
13             of terms to which a person can be elected as a member of either
14             house of the legislature.''
15           Sec. 3. This resolution, if approved by two-thirds of the members
16       elected (or appointed) and qualified to the House of Representatives, and
17       two-thirds of the members elected (or appointed) and qualified to the
18       Senate shall be entered on the journals, together with the yeas and nays.
19       The secretary of state shall cause this resolution to be published as pro-
20       vided by law and shall cause the proposed amendment to be submitted
21       to the electors of the state at the general election in the year 1998 unless
22       a special election is called at a sooner date by concurrent resolution of
23       the legislature, in which case it shall be submitted to the electors of the
24       state at the special election.
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