Steve Bing opens wallet to help change California’s term-limits law

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An effort to alter California’s term-limits law got a new financial backer last week -- multimillionaire Steve Bing.

Documents from the secretary of State’s office show that Bing’s Shangri-La Construction has donated $25,000 to the Californians for a Fresh Start committee. The committee, which also has received major funding from the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and developer Ed Roski’s Majestic Realty, is seeking to qualify a measure for the November ballot to tweak the state’s term-limits system, which was adopted by voters in 1990.

Under current law, Assembly members may serve three two-year terms. Senators are eligible to serve two four-year terms. The proposed initiative would allow lawmakers to serve 12 years total in either the Assembly or Senate.

The proposal is opposed by U.S. Term Limits, which has called the proposed change a weakening of the law passed by voters in 1990. California voters narrowly rejected a similar term-limits change in March 2008.

-- Anthony York in Sacramento