What A Difference A Term-Limits Law Makes
by Bruce Eggler - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

What a difference a term-limits law makes.

Thanks in part to retirements and decisions to seek other offices, but mainly to a law -- that kicks in with this election -- that limits lawmakers to three consecutive four-year terms in one chamber, the New Orleans area's delegation will look a great deal different when the new Legislature convenes next year.

When the new legislators are sworn in Jan. 14, at least 33 of the 49 House and Senate seats representing voters in the seven-parish metropolitan area will be in different hands than four years earlier, although in about a half-dozen cases House members have moved or apparently will move up to the Senate.

Gone from the House will be John Alario of Westwego, its longest-serving member and for many years one of its most influential power brokers. Alario instead will be a freshman member of the Senate, again representing a West Bank district.

Also missing from the House will be most of the rest of the powerful Jefferson Parish delegation: Reps. Glenn Ansardi, Shirley Bowler, N.J. Damico, Charlie Lancaster, Danny Martiny, Steve Scalise and Joe Toomy.

On the Senate side, Jeffersonians no longer will be represented by Ken Hollis, Art Lentini or Chris Ullo. Scalise easily won Hollis' seat Saturday but could decide to use it as an immediate launching pad for Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal's congressional seat. Martiny will be sitting in Lentini's Senate seat next year.