The myth of legislative term limits. Hint: They hurt more than help.
Reese back from injury, scores 8 points in rout
Thirty-three years ago, I first encountered John Arnold “Jack” Cade and assumed he was a blowhard.
Still a relatively young reporter for The Baltimore Sun, I’d been assigned to the newsroom team covering the Maryland General Assembly that year. My responsibility during my first 90-day session was to cover the state Senate, and often that meant spending countless hours in the Budget and Taxation Committee listening to Senator Cade grill witnesses mercilessly. He had retained the gruffness of his service in the U.S. Marine Corps and clearly enjoyed watching political appointees and top executive staff squirm under his questioning. He was large. He was intimidating. He was relentless. And he was a Republican who had gained the respect of his Democratic colleagues. No one on the committee tried to restrain Senator Cade (as if they could), but they paid close attention to what he had to say, often posing follow-up queries of their own.
After weeks of this, I eventually figured out what was going on. This wasn’t performance art. The senator wasn’t calling attention to himself. And although he served as minority leader, he wasn’t even being especially political. What really drove Jack was that he took the job of legislative oversight seriously. He wanted to make sure that taxpayer dollars were spent wisely. He not only wanted to see waste trimmed, he often threw his support behind worthy spending like expanding community colleges. And he was very, very good at this. Not because he was scary, although that probably helped. And surely not because he was a member of the GOP, which probably hurt given how Democrats outnumber Republicans by hefty margins in the Maryland legislature, then and now. No, here was his not-so-secret weapon: knowledge. Jack knew state government like the back of his hand. He was smart, he was studious, but most of all, he was experienced. By the time I met Senator Cade, he had already served three full terms in the legislature. He knew a lot.
I raise my memory of Senator Cade, who died in 1996, because state lawmakers are once again considering legislation to rewrite the state constitution to impose term limits. Under House Bill 1031, someone could serve no more than three terms. It’s one of those political reforms that sounds mighty tempting (disrupt the status quo, allow for more fresh blood, end the tyranny of veteran politicos) but, in reality, can make matters worse. Had the
bill been in effect a generation ago, Jack would not have been on B & T, replaced by some rookie still figuring out what “maintenance of effort” means (it relates to how public school funding is calculated, but you knew that, right?). The committee’s loss would have been a big gain for lobbyists and the influence of political parties who, in the absence of knowledge and experience of lawmakers, assert far greater control over the legislative process.
Don’t get me wrong. There’s a place for term limits in the executive branch. Perhaps in the judiciary too. But in the legislature, lawmakers face the enormous task of trying understand the sprawling and complex workings of state government. And unlike the governor, they don’t have tens of thousands of employees scurrying around doing their bidding. Ask anyone who has spent any time on State Circle in Annapolis: Newly elected lawmakers are like first-year high school students. Their education has just begun. Oh, they arrive with the ability to make speeches and file bills identical to those making the rounds of state legislatures around the country like, say, this one on term limits. Some served in local government or even worked as staff in the State House before, so they all aren’t necessarily neophytes. But Jack Cade-level knowledge? That’s rare. It ought to be prized.
It’s why Democrats of his era made him a budget subcommittee chairman.
There’s not much chance the term limit
bill will pass this session. Last year, an identical bill never made it out of committee. Only two people even bothered to testify, and that includes the sponsor. Mostly, it’s legislation to allow its Republican co-sponsors to someday boast on their campaign literature that they proudly endorsed term limits. And a lot of voters will probably like that. Currently, 15 states impose some type of legislative term limits, most endorsed by hefty majorities through ballot initiatives.
That’s not especially surprising. Who was ever comforted by the words, “career politician?” Yet average voters never sit through endless committee hearings day after day bearing witness to the often dull legislative process. Perhaps their idea of what lawmakers do is shaped by Congress, where notable hearings aren’t about gathering information, they’re about showing off for the TV cameras. Or maybe the justifiably cynical are responding to the political die-hards, right and left, who despise Mitch McConnell (in office since 1984) or Nancy Pelosi (since 1987), but can’t seem to defeat either at the ballot box. When it comes to the legislative branch whether in Washington, D.C., or in most states, the voters back home have the final say. May a representative democracy always work like that. And may there always be a few Jack Cades to keep things honest.
COLLEGE PARK — B-A-N-AN-A-S.
There’s no better way to describe the game inside Xfinity Center on Tuesday, in which the No. 8 Maryland women’s basketball team buried Iowa and one of the country’s most dangerous players in one quarter.
In which senior Katie Benzan tied a school record for 3-pointers in a game (eight) by halftime and snapped it in the second half.
In which the Terps eclipsed 100 points for the fifth time this season to cruise to a 111-93 victory over the Hawkeyes.
With the most points scored against a Big Ten Conference opponent since it joined the league in 2014, Maryland (17-2, 13-1) extended its winning streak to six and sent a powerful message to the rest of the conference: Send your best player. We’ve got 10.
“Our staff was honestly stunned at halftime,” coach Brenda Frese said. “We didn’t tell the girls that. I’ve never been part of a game like that. I can’t wait to go back and watch the game.”
According to the Big Ten Network, it’s the most points Maryland has scored in a conference game since a 111-53 win at Miami on Jan. 10, 2007, when the Terps were a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. It’s also tied for the third-most points Maryland has scored in a league game in program history.
Benzan’s nine 3-pointers breaks the program’s single-game mark, one she herself reached against Arkansas in November and previously shared with four others. It also ties the school’s men’s basketball record, and her 29 points marked a career high for the graduate transfer from Harvard.
Benzan started to feel the
excitement at halftime, as her teammates were buzzing from the electricity of the first half.
“I can’t put it in words. I just read the defense,” Benzan said, “and they were playing a zone, which opened up the 3-point line for all of us. The shots just went down, and we play with such a great point guard in Ash [Owusu], who finds the open person every single time.”
Together, sophomores Diamond Miller (27 points), Ashley Owusu (24 points) and Benzan took turns dumping kerosene on Iowa (12-7, 8-7) and lighting the blaze with a combined 14 3-pointers. The Terps finished the game 15-for-22 from deep.
Owusu reached supreme floor general status in Frese’s book. She logged the only double double on the court; her 12 assists were two away from tying an Xfinity Center program record.
Their firepower, and a suffocating Maryland defense, rendered the 34-point performance from Iowa freshman Caitlin Clark — widely considered one of the best freshmen in America, averaging 26.9 points per game — powerless to stop it. Scoring most of her points in the first half, Clark broke her own single-game record with nine 3-pointers.
“Caitlin Clark is the best freshman in the country,” Frese said. “If you can go against a top-10 program like us — and we did everything to stop her — and still get 34 points? I think it says it all.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Maryland had something else to celebrate. Even though Frese expected to save her for the postseason, Angel Reese really couldn’t have returned in a better game.
The star freshman out of St. Frances has been missing since Dec. 3, when she fractured her foot against Towson. On Saturday, she left her sideline role as part of a two-man hype crew with assistant coach Keith Pough to contribute eight points in 12 minutes.
With the Big Ten tournament still two weeks away, Reese finds herself in an excellent position to warm back to actual gameplay before the postseason. Though practices have been limited lately, leaving less time for Reese to prepare for her return, Frese said the Baltimore native never stopped fueling her hunger to return to play, between working with staff and running workouts on her own.
“She’s 100% healed. We wanted to test the waters if it presented itself today,” Frese said. “We’re not going to be able to practice tomorrow after this physical game. I thought she was huge. I thought her energy was great, to be able to have that energy and depth and to be able to send waves.”
If there’s a record for most 3-pointers in the first three minutes, Maryland and Iowa seemed to be gunning for it. The teams hit a combined 15 from beyond the arc before the end of the quarter.
Miller hit two of her four, setting the Terps on the right track until Clark splashed three straight as easily as if she was alone on the floor.
But Maryland, as a team, played together.
Iowa did not.
All of the Hawkeyes’ first nine points belonged to Clark, a total that dragged into the sixth minute as Maryland defenders increased attention on the dynamic freshman. For the rest of the Hawkeyes, the Terps defense suppressed offense like smog on the hottest day.
The Terps spread the wealth, with Benzan logging a couple triples and Owusu scoring in relief. Miller, far from finished, added another bucket from the perimeter, as did Benzan. And just like that, the Terps settled on a 27-9 lead over Iowa less than midway through the quarter.
Maryland strutted out of the quarter with eight 3-pointers — tying the program record for most in a quarter — and a 20-point lead, 41-21.
The fun wasn’t over for the Terps. With a 68-51 lead at halftime, Maryland set a Big Ten record for most points in two quarters and tied the league record for most first-half points in a conference or nonconference game.
Frese said her defense worked a little more face-guarding against Clark in the second half to make her work harder. Miller took on much of the responsibility of shutting Clark down; the freshman’s production dropped to five points in the second half.
“That’s the growth in Diamond’s game. I’m so proud of her, to be able to see the ownership, that she wanted to be able to take that energy with Caitlin,” Frese said. “It transferred to the offense end. I don’t think Diamond’s ever been so tired in a game. It’s awesome. That’s the kind of talent Diamond has.”
Projected cost: $15.8 million
Skinny: The Lions are rebuilding with a new coach, a new general manager and a new quarterback, but they probably won’t start over at wide receiver. The NFL Network reported Monday that Golladay is a “strong” franchise tag candidate if Detroit can’t sign him to an extension.
Injuries limited the 27-year-old to just five games last season, but he still finished with 20 catches for 338 yards and two touchdowns. Since entering the NFL in 2017, Golladay has averaged 16.8 yards per catch, second-most among receivers with at least 100 catches in that span. He made the Pro Bowl in 2019 after leading the league in touchdown catches (11) and recording his second straight 1,000yard season.
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ACROSS
“God is the perfect
___”: Robert Browning Hormel product “Avatar” f/x, e.g.
Subjects of some insurance company reports
An oil, maybe Sharing thoughts like a Vulcan [Detroit,
Fargo]
Brillo rival
Wise alternative What the nose knows
Little matter “Iron Lady” of Israeli politics
Classic of daytime TV first aired in 1962 [Atlanta, Bangor] Germany’s von Bismarck
___ Belt
(part of a constellation) Certain ant
Lie in the past?
Health care hero, for short
Red, white and blue land … or what 15-, 22-, 45- and 57-Across feature?
“Shark Tank” network
Berry that looks like a blueberry Aircraft company headquartered in Kansas Emmy winner Carl or Rob
Pop 45 47 51
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56 57 61 62 63
64 65
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6 7 8
9 10 11
12 13
15
19 21
23
Arthritis symptom [Altoona, South Bend] Peter or Paul, but not Mary Off-road fourwheelers, for short
Pilfer, to Brits Wrinkly-faced dog
___-Town (Midwest hub) Sommelier’s suggestion [Oshkosh, Omaha]
He’s a doll
Kind of milk End of many an address Granny, e.g. Isle of ___
DOWN
Kind of scheme Bygone
Muppet who once helped Emeril on “Emeril Live” One up, for example
Libya’s Gulf of ___
Taro dish
She’s a doll Only ingredient in Accent, in brief
They might click on a dance floor
Some bachelor party attendees
Self proclamation? Mention
It helps you see details
Shh … it’s the word!
Way back when Digital media player since 2008
___ Hall (“The Wind in the Willows” residence)
By Natan Last, Andy Kravis and The J.A.S.A. Crossword Class
24 Brand name derived from the phrase
“crystallized cottonseed oil”
Gave an inkling
Leaseholder, e.g.
Muscle controlled by the radial nerve, informally
Sports grp. founded by
Billie Jean King
“No, you can’t be serious!”
Not serving
Hawaiian ring
Grp. of inspectors
Seat of ancient
Irish kings 25 27 28 30 31
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45
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“Hurry!”
___ and outs Wading bird with a long, slender bill King of Pop, in tabloids Ham-handed Offer one’s two cents
Get rid of the ball, in a way One might be deviled Mustang and Pinto, for two Rockette’s move
Cooking utensil
Stop on the road
___-Latin Spanish king
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