Provides that, for the general officers of the state, no person could be elected to the same general office more than twice.
Summary
S0288 amends Rhode Island’s elections law governing the state’s general officers: the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and general treasurer. The bill would bar any person from being elected to the same general office more than twice. It also adds a related restriction for individuals who have already served more than two years of another person’s term in that office, limiting them to one future election to that same office.
The bill further provides that anyone who is ineligible to be elected governor is also ineligible to be elected lieutenant governor. The measure takes effect immediately upon passage and would apply to the constitutional and statutory framework for statewide executive offices in Rhode Island.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would change Chapter 17-2 of the Rhode Island General Laws by imposing term-limit style restrictions on the state’s top executive offices. It would affect eligibility for election to governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and general treasurer, and would create a cross-reference between eligibility for governor and lieutenant governor. The practical effect would be to limit repeated service in the same statewide office and potentially reduce the pool of candidates who have already served multiple terms or partial terms.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented public debate or formal vote history to gauge sentiment. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a reform-oriented approach to limiting tenure in statewide executive offices. Because the proposal is straightforward and structural, any support or opposition would likely center on views about term limits, voter choice, and continuity in office, but those positions are not documented in the available materials.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the proposed limit on repeated election to the same general office, which could be viewed as promoting turnover and preventing entrenchment, or alternatively as restricting voters’ ability to reelect experienced officials. Another likely issue is the special rule for people who have served more than two years of another person’s term, which may raise questions about how partial terms are counted and whether the rule is fair to appointed or successor officeholders. The added prohibition tying lieutenant governor eligibility to governor eligibility could also be debated as an attempt to align qualifications across offices or as an unnecessary restriction.