EDITORIAL: Let the people vote

Enough is enough, already. Since, former Legis. Kate Browning announced her run for Legis. Rudy Sunderman’s vacated 3rd District seat, there has been an ongoing political battle.

The Dems say Kate can run, claiming the intention of the law is clear: legislators can take a break after serving 12 consecutive years and return to serve again, while the GOP claims she cannot run again and it is against the intentions of the voters when they voted for legislative term limits in the early ‘90s.

We do not endorse candidates and our opinion is not made on behalf of favoring one side or the other. Rather, we will say this. Let the people vote!

The law is ambiguous. In 1993, the Suffolk County Legislature passed a term-limit law that was put before the voters and passed on the ballot in November, limiting legislators to 12 years. The law reads, “No person shall serve as a county legislator for more than 12 consecutive years,” whereas a similar local law more recently voted in by the Town of Brookhaven clearly states, “[Town officials] may serve up to three four-year terms regardless of whether said terms are served consecutively or nonconsecutively.”

Our belief is that without that terminology, there is room for candidates to run again, should they reappear on the ballot some years later. However, perhaps, a revote by the people of Suffolk County should be done with the proper terminology in place, either identical to the Town of Brookhaven’s or the opposite.

Either way, the law needs clarity to prevent future lawsuits as this one, especially after the precedent will be set with the Browning case. A vote is the only way to know for certain what the people of the county really want or intended by the vote on term limits.

Even still, the politics behind fighting for this seat is underserving the public. A vote with two candidates on the ballot is always best.

We need options, not an unopposed race with one political party option. The people will vote on May 25 and whatever way they vote will be the decision of the people.

It shouldn’t matter who is on the ballot or not. If the people feel Kate Browning already served her term and shouldn’t be permitted back in office, our democracy will work itself out.