Todd Zimmerman, Chairman of the Schuylkill County Democratic Committee, has announced that he will host a town hall meeting at Penn State Schuylkill next month to open a community-wide discussion about term limits and age restrictions for elected officials. Zimmerman stressed that the initiative is his own personal project and not sponsored by the Democratic Committee.
The event, titled “Let’s Start a Conversation: Constitutional Amendments for Term and Age Limits,” is scheduled for Thursday, October 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the R. Michael Fryer Conference Center at the Penn State Schuylkill campus. The program is open to Republicans, Independents, and Democrats who are interested in a respectful dialogue about potential constitutional reforms.
Zimmerman, in a letter shared with community organizations, said his inspiration comes from observing longtime lawmakers who stayed in office well past their ability to serve effectively. He cited late Senators Robert Byrd and Dianne Feinstein as examples of legislators who, in his view, should have stepped aside to allow new leaders to emerge.
“Power corrupts,” Zimmerman wrote in an Op-Ed circulated earlier this summer. “I generally believe that when people run for government, they want to bring about positive change. However, when they are involved too long, the lines get blurred.”
In his editorial, Zimmerman called for consideration of a constitutional amendment that would limit members of the U.S. House of Representatives to 10 terms (20 years) and members of the U.S. Senate to four terms (24 years), while also preventing any candidate from running for office after age 75. While acknowledging that such limits may still seem lengthy, Zimmerman argued they would help make public service more accessible to working-class Americans without forcing them to abandon careers for only short stints in office.
Zimmerman emphasized that his proposal is not an official Democratic Party position but rather a personal effort to encourage a broader conversation across political lines. “I would like to have a dialogue with like-minded Republicans, Independents, and Democrats to begin what will be a long process,” he stated.
Attendees at the October 9 event will also have an opportunity to log into a website and vote on ideas presented during the discussion. Zimmerman hopes the effort can spark momentum beyond Schuylkill County. “My goal is to start a national movement,” he said. “I realize this journey will be difficult, but it needs to start somewhere.”
The event, titled “Let’s Start a Conversation: Constitutional Amendments for Term and Age Limits,” is scheduled for Thursday, October 9, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the R. Michael Fryer Conference Center at the Penn State Schuylkill campus. The program is open to Republicans, Independents, and Democrats who are interested in a respectful dialogue about potential constitutional reforms.
Zimmerman, in a letter shared with community organizations, said his inspiration comes from observing longtime lawmakers who stayed in office well past their ability to serve effectively. He cited late Senators Robert Byrd and Dianne Feinstein as examples of legislators who, in his view, should have stepped aside to allow new leaders to emerge.
“Power corrupts,” Zimmerman wrote in an Op-Ed circulated earlier this summer. “I generally believe that when people run for government, they want to bring about positive change. However, when they are involved too long, the lines get blurred.”
In his editorial, Zimmerman called for consideration of a constitutional amendment that would limit members of the U.S. House of Representatives to 10 terms (20 years) and members of the U.S. Senate to four terms (24 years), while also preventing any candidate from running for office after age 75. While acknowledging that such limits may still seem lengthy, Zimmerman argued they would help make public service more accessible to working-class Americans without forcing them to abandon careers for only short stints in office.
Zimmerman emphasized that his proposal is not an official Democratic Party position but rather a personal effort to encourage a broader conversation across political lines. “I would like to have a dialogue with like-minded Republicans, Independents, and Democrats to begin what will be a long process,” he stated.
Attendees at the October 9 event will also have an opportunity to log into a website and vote on ideas presented during the discussion. Zimmerman hopes the effort can spark momentum beyond Schuylkill County. “My goal is to start a national movement,” he said. “I realize this journey will be difficult, but it needs to start somewhere.”
Link to Op-Ed that Zimmerman shared in June 2025:
https://www.skooknews.com/2025/06/letter-to-editor-lets-start-conversation.html
https://www.skooknews.com/2025/06/letter-to-editor-lets-start-conversation.html