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The Houston Chronicle reported that the TX Supreme Court's decision this week on Houston's 2015 Term Limits Referendum all but ensures voters of the Space City will NOT be seeing the November Mayoral elections that the plaintiffs were hoping to see badly. The TX Supreme Court on Monday, denied plaintiffs' attempts to expedite their case challenging the ballot language that lengthened citywide officeholders' terms from 3 2-year terms to 2 4-year terms back in the November 3rd, 2015 elections, making it unlikely the matter will be resolved before the state's August 21st deadline to ordering a fall election. Instead, the case is being repositioned to return to trial court for a hearing on whether the wording on the city's Proposition 2 authorizing 2 4-year terms instead of 3 2-year terms (which was originally put in place back in 1991), was too obscure. "There's no way," Austin election lawyer Buck Wood said. "I don't see any way that they're going to get any final order in time for the filing deadline." Plaintiffs' attorney Erick Dick (who ran unsuccessfully for Mayor), conceded the timing makes a November Mayoral election unlikely. "But I don't think it's impossible," Dick added, saying he plans to ask the TX Supreme Court to reconsider it's decision. The TX First Court of Appeals sided with Dick in January on a procedural issue, but the trial court has yet to consider the substance of the case. http://www.chron.com/news/politics/houston/article/Attorney-No-way-term-limits-case-forces-11397494.php http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/City-loses-appeal-on-procedural-challenge-to-term-10854478.php Like to hear your thoughts on these developments considering those, who were part of the 1991 Term Limits Initiative, are hell-bent on going back to the Status Quo & if their efforts will be successful.

Houston Chronicle reported today in their City & State section that Houstonians are guaranteed to have a wild 2015 political season with an open Mayoral contest (current Mayor Annise Parker (D) is term-limited from seeking a 4th term next year) on the November ballot, but it could get busier with growing talks of placing the city charter before the voters for possible changes to term limits, the city's revenue cap and other reforms. Whether any of the proposed amendments goes to a vote next May or alongside the mayoral contest next November, the Texas constitution requires a 2-year gap between charter changes, so all reforms would have to be voted on at once. Mayor Parker has pledged in letting voters consider a change to the city's current term limits: changing it from 3 2-year terms (6 years) to 2 4-year terms (8 years): but support on this measure evaporated quickly on City Council when that idea last was discussed in 2012. Other cities with 2 4-year terms on their Mayors included: Dallas, TX., New York City, NY St, Los Angeles, CA., Atlanta, GA., Oakland, CA., New Orleans, LA., Nashville, TN., San Diego, CA & Philadelphia, PA, etc., What's your reaction to the possible city charter reforms being placed on the 2015 ballot ? http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/houston/article/Busy-ballot-may-await-Houstonians-in-2015-5807690.php