"I think it has a lot of support in the House," said House Majority Leader Phil Baddour, D-Wayne.
The (Raleigh) News & Observer reported Friday that House Speaker Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg, said state legislators should seriously consider implementing session limitations and that he will bring the issue to the floor this week.
The N.C. Senate has approved session limits in the past -- including during last year's record-setting session that stretched for 317 calendar days. Session limits were never formally addressed in the House in its more than 170 days of floor discussion.
Black said last year that session limits did not have enough support to warrant putting it before the House for a vote.
Baddour said garnering enough support to implement session limits is always problematic because limits can only be mandated by a constitutional amendment, which requires a three-fifths majority. "It's not just a question of a simple majority."
But Baddour added that despite lingering opposition, he thinks the amendment will see a House vote this session.
"There is a lot of opposition," he said. "It's not a foregone conclusion, but I think it has a good chance of passing."
House Minority Leader Leo Daughtry, R-Johnston, also said he thinks more representatives would back a session limiting amendment than have in the past.
"I think it has more support," he said. "People are just ready to get out of here."
