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| | Term limits campaign heats up
Tuesday, Oct 19, 2004 By David Robinson Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - A sudden influx of nearly half-a-million dollars will go to help a group trying to defeat a ballot proposal that would extend term limits. The money has prompted an outcry from the proposed constitutional Amendment 1 supporters, who filed an ethics complaint on Monday. "Obviously a flush of money has arrived," said Jim Pledger, chairman of the group Arkansans FOR Term Limits That Work. "Our initial review of their advertising buy shows that they're spending somewhere close to $500,000." "Arkansans should be asking, 'who's funding this very expensive media blitz?'" Pledger said. The group's complaint filed with the state Ethics Commission says that the Save Term Limits campaign was late filing its contributions report and did not provide complete contributor data. Tim Jacob, who heads the Save Term Limits campaign, said the money is from both in and out of Arkansas, and that much is from the Woodbridge, Va., -based Citizens in Charge, which promotes citizen involvement in government. He said the latest donors were not included on the Save Term Limits contribution report because the donations hadn't arrived before the close of the September filing period. Jacob acknowledged his group's tardy filing, saying it was due Friday but faxed to the Ethics Commission on Sunday. He said the Save Term Limits campaign, wants to nearly match the spending planned by Amendment 1's supporters, which is a coalition of business and industry groups backed by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce. State Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ron Russell has said he hopes to raise about $500,000. "If we can almost match the opposition, I think we'll be OK," Jacob said. "I don't expect to match them, but we'll come close." The existing amendment provides House members three two-year terms and senators two four-year terms. Amendment 1's supporters say the extension of term limits to 12 years is essential because Arkansas has one of the most inexperienced legislatures in the nation. Opponents such as Jacob say the existing constitutional amendment has been successful in preventing a lobbyist-controlled legislature. |
