02/21/2026 03:15 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

         HJR 22-FEDERAL CONST. CONVENTION: TERM LIMITS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:18:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK  announced that the  first order of  business would                                                               
be HOUSE JOINT  RESOLUTION NO. 22,  Requesting  the United States                                                               
Congress  to propose  an  amendment to  the  Constitution of  the                                                               
United  States to  set a  limit  on the  number of  terms that  a                                                               
person may be  elected as a member of the  United States House of                                                               
Representatives and as a member  of the United States Senate; and                                                               
requesting   the   United  States   Congress   to   call  for   a                                                               
constitutional  convention  of the  states  to  propose a  single                                                               
amendment  to the  Constitution of  the  United States  to set  a                                                               
limit on the  number of terms that  a person may be  elected as a                                                               
member of  the United  States House of  Representatives and  as a                                                               
member of the United States Senate.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:19:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FRANK TOMASZEWSKI,  Alaska State  Legislature, as                                                               
prime sponsor introduced  HJR 22.  He stated that  a conducted in                                                               
January  2025  showed that  84  percent  of Alaskans  favor  term                                                               
limits.   Twelve states have  similar legislation, and  14 others                                                               
have legislation  in committees.  He  said it takes 34  states to                                                               
bypass Congress to call a constitutional convention.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:22:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CONNOR MERRINER, Staff,  Representative Frank Tomaszewski, Alaska                                                               
State Legislature, presented and  answered questions on behalf of                                                               
Representative Tomaszewski, prime sponsor of HJR 22.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MERRINER began  a PowerPoint  presentation  titled "HJR  22:                                                               
U.S. Term Limits,"  [hard copy in the committee file].   On slide                                                               
2, he outlined reasons why there  is a need for U.S. term limits:                                                               
to  restore  a  citizen  legislature,  bring  state-specific  and                                                               
private sector experience to D.C.   On slide 4, he shared reasons                                                               
for restoring a citizen legislature.   As states were intended to                                                               
be laboratories of innovation, bringing  state experience to D.C.                                                               
is important.   He  shared reasons  on slide  6 to  bring private                                                               
sector  expertise  to D.C.    He  reiterated the  bill  sponsor's                                                               
statement that  84 percent of Alaskans  support implementing U.S.                                                               
term limits.   Currently,  12 states have  passed calls  for term                                                               
limit amendments, while 14 states have similar legislation.                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
3:26:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ST. CLAIR asked how long resolutions last.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:26:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CONSTANTIN QUERARD, Regional Director,  U.S. Term Limits, replied                                                               
that  resolutions  last  into perpetuity.    States  can  rescind                                                               
resolutions.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY   asked  whether,  when   a  constitutional                                                               
convention is called, the issue is just limited to term limits.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR.   MERRINER  replied   that   it  doesn't   open  the   entire                                                               
constitution, it is just a single item resolution.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  CARRICK asked,  since  this is  a  resolution, what  would                                                               
prevent it from becoming a more open discussion.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MERRINER  replied a  delegation  is  called for  a  proposed                                                               
amendment  to the  constitution.   The  states  must ratify  that                                                               
amendment.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HIMSCHOOT  asked  in  other  democracies  whether                                                               
there are term limits.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. QUERARD replied yes, he can provide a list.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:29:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK opened public testimony on HJR 22.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. QUERARD began  his invited testimony in favor of  HJR 22.  He                                                               
said he is here on behalf of  Alaskans who are in support of this                                                               
cause.   The presentation already  outlined several  good reasons                                                               
for  this change  and there  are many  more.   Everyone seems  to                                                               
support  it  for  a  lot  of  different  reasons.    Congress  is                                                               
dysfunctional  because [the  length of  time members  of Congress                                                               
are  in office].   Incumbents  lean into  seniority as  a selling                                                               
point.   It takes a while  to get influence in  Congress, usually                                                               
ten to twenty years.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:33:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ED MARTIN,  representing self,  testified in  support of  HJR 22.                                                               
This is a  very good subject for  state affairs.  He  said he has                                                               
voted  in many  elections since  1973.   U.S. Representative  Don                                                               
Young stayed  in Congress  his whole  career.   He said  too many                                                               
people have made  this a career.  Their oath  is subject to their                                                               
egos instead  of the people.   He  asked the committee  to please                                                               
pass this resolution to Congress.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:35:05 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  CARRICK  after  ascertaining  no  further  testimony,  she                                                               
closed public testimony on HJR 22.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HIMSCHOOT stated  that she  hasn't come  to terms                                                               
with  term limits.    She  comes from  a  rural  area with  fewer                                                               
people.  The  seniority system gives more say on  what happens in                                                               
the  legislature.   She said  there  should be  an exception  for                                                               
rural folks.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. QUERARD replied that with  a small delegation like Alaska, it                                                               
is difficult.   He said states with term limits  use more subject                                                               
area expertise.   He stated this  would be good for  a state like                                                               
Alaska  to  send  congressmen  with expertise  in  an  area  that                                                               
interests the state.  With term  limits, there will be times when                                                               
the congressman has seniority.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT replied that  she doesn't disagree.  The                                                               
state system is partisan.  She  said at the state level, there is                                                               
power and  influence in staff.   At  the federal level,  there is                                                               
professional level staff with this knowledge.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:40:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. QUERARD stated  that staff influence is not a  bad thing.  He                                                               
is more  concerned about  a chairperson  not having  subject area                                                               
expertise and being managed by the staff.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT commented on  investment potential.  She                                                               
asked, "How many years has Chuck Grassley been in office?"                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. QUERARD replied that he is the longest serving congressman.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:42:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  CARRICK  said  she  appreciated  the  presentation.    She                                                               
acknowledged that  term limits  are supported  by Alaskans.   She                                                               
shares  some  of  the   concerns  that  Representative  Himschoot                                                               
expressed.  Legislators are public  figures and the staff is less                                                               
accountable to the public.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. QUERARD  said he disagrees  that legislators  are accountable                                                               
to their districts.   He said congressmen are  not as accountable                                                               
to voters.   The system is  broken and the re-election  rates are                                                               
high.    He  gave  examples  of a  couple  of  Senators.    Staff                                                               
expertise will  not eliminate institutional knowledge,  but staff                                                               
get hired  or fired.   Voters don't have  many options.   He said                                                               
quality staff survive  and staff and members  work well together.                                                               
This job wasn't ever meant to be a career.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK  said she  appreciates the dialog.   She  still has                                                               
some concerns  with challenges on  election reform and  the money                                                               
in politics.   The United  States needs to address  that Congress                                                               
is like  a retirement  home.   She liked  the potential  for more                                                               
subject-matter experts who work well across the aisle.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:49:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HIMSCHOOT said that some  of the ballot issues are                                                               
due to open primaries and rank choice voting.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  QUERARD replied  that  rank choice  is a  newer  idea.   The                                                               
incumbent is still the one to  win the election.  He asked, "What                                                               
changes can  be made  that will  stand up to  the courts?"   Term                                                               
limits are popular in all states.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCABE stated  he  is excited  to  hear that  the                                                               
committee  is interested  in  campaign finance  reform  as he  is                                                               
sponsoring a  bill on this  issue.  He is  a member of  U.S. Term                                                               
Limits.   He  agrees that  the United  States needs  to stop  the                                                               
retirement  home  in  Congress.    As  an  elected  official,  he                                                               
oversees the staff as a leader.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:54:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  VANCE  stated  that   she  fully  supports  [term                                                               
limits] and has  co-sponsored previous related bills.   The first                                                               
President realized  that it  was not healthy  to stay  in office.                                                               
The  Founding Fathers  were visionaries.   Term  limits encourage                                                               
more people to  participate in self-governance.   She opined that                                                               
12-year  term limits  provide a  good balance  and a  respectable                                                               
amount of time.  She is in support of this resolution.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:57:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARRICK announced that HJR 22 was held over.