Senate agrees to move '08 vote to Feb.

Without a change in the term limits law, Nunez would be forced from his seat -- and his Assembly leadership post -- in 2008.

Perata, leader of the Senate, could benefit in the same way. He would otherwise be termed out after 2008.

Currently, California lawmakers can serve a maximum of three two-year terms in the Assembly and two four-year terms in the Senate, for a total of 14 years. Nunez proposes cutting the overall term in the Legislature to 12 years, but his plan would allow them to be served entirely in one house.

Legislators could attempt to woo voters to their cause by pairing a term-limits initiative with a measure that changes the way political districts are drawn. Such a measure could eliminate the current conflict of interest that allows lawmakers to draw their own districts.

The speaker has already said he is willing to cede redistricting authority to an independent commission, though he has not specified details of such an arrangement.

Some critics of a February primary -- estimated to cost $50 million to $90 million -- say lawmakers' real motive is not to make California a player in presidential politics but to secure more time in office.

Assembly Republicans say they will seek to make sure the bill reimburses counties for election costs.

"It's not about relevancy," said Sen. Dave Cox (R-Fair Oaks) before he voted against the bill. "It's about changing term limits and redistricting.... We should not be spending $50 million or $60 million to add a primary election."

If California pushes its presidential primary to Feb. 5, only residents in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina will have voted earlier.

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nancy.vogel@latimes.com

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The schedule last time

The state Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to move next year's California presidential primary election from June 3 to Feb. 5. The bill is expected to become law. Similar bills are pending in Texas, Illinois, Florida and New Jersey. Pennsylvania and Indiana are considering moving their primaries to March. These were the earliest primaries and caucuses held in the last presidential race, in 2004:

* Jan. 13 -- District of Columbia

* Jan. 19 -- Iowa

* Jan. 27 -- New Hampshire

* Feb. 3 -- Arizona, Delaware (Democratic), Missouri, New Mexico (Democratic), North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina (Democratic)

Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures, Democratic National Committee