North Dakota Supreme Court Blocks Lawmaker Term Limit Measure

The North Dakota Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a ballot measure proposed by state lawmakers to reform term limits is unconstitutional. The measure, introduced via Senate Resolution 4008 in 2025, aimed to allow legislators to serve up to 16 years in a single chamber and exclude partial terms from the total limit calculation.

In a unanimous decision, the court found the proposal violated Article XV of the state constitution. The court noted that a 2022 voter amendment specifically bars the Legislative Assembly from proposing constitutional changes to term limits, reserving that power exclusively for citizen-led initiative petitions.

The court ordered the secretary of state to remove the proposal from the upcoming November ballot. The legal challenge was brought by former Senator Oley Larsen and County Commissioner Terry Bjerke.