It turns out the difference between states with and without term limits is dramatic. As of next month, the average consecutive legislative experience for House Speakers in states with term limits will be 6.4 years. In states without them, the average is 18.7 years. (I'm counting Louisiana and Nevada as states without term limits, since their laws haven't prevented any legislators from running for reelection yet).
A few additional tidbits:
* Arizona Speaker Jim Weiers must be the nation's foremost term limit evader. He served as Speaker from 2001-2002. Then, when term limits forced him out, he won a state Senate seat, only to return to the House last year and immediately be named Speaker once again.
* Tom Craddick of Texas is the nation's longest-serving Speaker. He was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1968. Mike Madigan of Illinois, who won his first term in 1970, is second.
* No one exemplifies how the absence of term limits can cultivate lifetime legislators better than Wisconsin Speaker John Gard. He graduated from college in 1986, won his seat in 1987, and has served in the legislature ever since.
* Doug Scamman of New Hampshire was elected Speaker last year, a month after winning his seat. Scamman, a former Speaker, hadn't served in the legislature since 1990. New Hampshire doesn't have term limits, but perhaps the $100 annual salary of House members discourages lawmakers from building more tenure.
