The Nevada Supreme Court Friday upheld the term limits amendment as constitutional, a decision which removed Regent Howard Rosenberg, longtime Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury and a handful of other candidates from this year’s ballot.

But the court found that the 12 year term limits clock didn’t start ticking for members of the legislature in 1996 because they officially took office the day after that year’s election and the term limits amendment didn’t take effect until the vote was canvassed in January of 1997.

That challenge was filed by the opponent seeking to oust Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, from her re-election race.

That means she and other long-serving lawmakers — including Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio who was also challenged — won’t be “termed out” until the 2010 election.