Experience counts: when term limits made experience unconstitutional in Michigan, two smart women staffers moved into important positions of power.

• Author: Kyle, Cynthia

It was her first day of work at Michigan's Capitol and Cindy Peruchietti was in tears.

"I thought how in the world did 1 get to be so lucky."

She was so excited on that day 17 years ago that she arrived at 7 a.m., a time when the classic revival building is occupied almost exclusively by security officers and maintenance staff.

Her new job: legislative staff assistant to Representative Michael Bennane, a Detroit Democrat.

Three years later, Suzanne Miller-Allen would make her way from Chrysler Corporation's governmental relations office to the halls of the Michigan Senate.

Her new job: legislative staff assistant for Senator Dick Posthumus, a Republican farmer from Alto near Grand Rapids. Her boss at Chrysler had urged her to find a job in politics to satisfy her growing Republican activism. "You're not going to make it in government relations," he said.

Since that time, the gilded glory of the Michigan Capitol has been recaptured through renovation, the two women's legislative paths have crossed constantly and politics in the state have been turned completely upside down by term limits.

Now, their first floor Capitol offices are almost directly across from each other, and they are among the longest serving--whether staffer or elected lawmaker--in any of the 16 states with limited terms.

Gone are the career House and Senate members, some with service records as long as 40 years.

In 1992, Michigan voters endorsed a constitutional change that imposed some of the strictest term limits anywhere in the United States. House members can now serve three two-year terms, and never return again. Senators can hold office for two four-year terms and no more. Both have lifetime bans against further service.

NEW PRESSURES

There's no indication voters will reverse the tidal wave that's brought an ever-changing sea of newcomers to Michigan's capital city of Lansing and an ocean of new pressures on legislative staffers.

"I don't know what the average tenure of staff is, but it's diminished because the job security with the members is not there," Alien says.

When she first arrived, it took a staffer 23 years to get a Capitol parking space, Peruchietti says. Now it's down to around 15 years.

In their current jobs, Allen and Peruchietti rank as two of the most important non-elected people in Michigan's Legislature. Allen, 38, is chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema, a Republican from a Grand Rapids suburb. Peruchietti, 44, is chief of staff to Senate Minority Leader Bob Liner son, Democrat from Flint.

They also are a part of an elite group viewed as increasingly important to effective administration of a legislature operating under term limits. That group is shrinking. New lawmakers bring in new staff. Experienced staff move to other occupations, worn out by the stress of a constant turnover of legislators and growing partisanship.

That turnover comes at a time when--Allen and Peruchietti agree--experience is crucial to term-limited chambers. Experience, combined with relationships that build on personal trust no matter the party, help create a cooperative atmosphere.

That personal touch is critical, both believe, to ensuring that the vast bulk of legislative business that is not partisan is accomplished efficiently.

Term limits makes those interpersonal skills more difficult to attain and employ, both women acknowledge.

"Cindy and I are an example of something that is very much lost in term limits. That is the interpersonal relationship between members. They're not here long enough," says Allen.

"I have many, many good friends who are Republicans, who work for both the House and Senate and whom I respect immensely," Peruchietti says. "We share views on lots of issues. There's just a few that we don't."

OLD PROS WORK TOGETHER

That interpersonal relationship proved key this year as the two chiefs helped their

bosses finesse the details of a budget cut the Senate took as Michigan tried to wrestle it back into balance.

"We've become sort of a team," Peruchietti says. "We took 12.3 percent cuts in the first round. And you didn't hear any screaming because we worked things out beforehand."

Peruchietti and Allen have seniority over all but...