Budget, Districts Might Slow Session, Again

The tasks that delayed adjournment of the 2001 session -- dealing with a large budget deficit and the drafting of a legislative redistricting plan -- might come up again when the state legislature convenes its short session in late May.

N.C. officials estimate that the budget shortfall for the 2002-03 fiscal year will be more than $1 billion.

To contend with the state's fiscal mess, House Speaker Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg, and Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight, D-Dare, announced Wednesday that they would call appropriations committees back to Raleigh in late March or early April to start working on a budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

No concrete date has been set for when the committees will return.

Also, a state judge recently ruled that state district lines -- which were drawn last fall -- are unconstitutional, possibly forcing legislators to spend time in the next few months drawing new ones.

Last year the combination of state budget problems and redistricting led to the longest session in state history.

"I hope this session doesn't run nearly as long," said Sen. Charles Carter, D-Buncombe. "I thought the length of the last session was ridiculous."

Rep. Wayne Goodwin, D-Montgomery, said he thinks the session will end on time for two reasons.

"After last year's marathon session, I can't imagine anyone in the state who has the stomach for that again," Goodwin said. "It's also an election year, so legislators need to be home talking with their constituents. People need to see their legislators."

Despite some lawmaker confidence, Rep. Edgar Starnes, R-Alexander, said the state's budget shortfall could prompt a lengthy session. Starnes said the session's duration hinges on the Democratic leadership's response to the budget woes.

"They can either raise revenue, which means a tax increase, or cut spending," Starnes said.

But Carter said he does not think the budget alone will cause an extended session. "We know it's going to be a tough budget year," he said. "But we've had those before and still gotten out of here in a timely fashion, so I think we should this year as well."

Carter, Goodwin and Starnes all said lengthy sessions have negative effects on legislators. "It wears us down," Carter said. "Everyone gets pretty tired of making the trip to Raleigh. Theoretically this is a part-time legislature, but with yearlong sessions, we lose that ability."

Goodwin said a long session can have indirect but detrimental effects on legislative outcomes as well as on legislators.

"The longer it is, the more weary the legislators become and the more susceptible they become to political forces," he said. "Fatigue can often lead to bad lawmaking."

Carter said a bill that would limit the length of the General Assembly's session might eliminate the problems associated with long sessions.

The N.C. Senate passed a session limit bill last year, but the House never voted on it.

Goodwin said he also would support limiting the length of legislative sessions to ensure that the legislature remains representative of the state by allowing working-class legislators to spend time with their families and at their full-time jobs.

"If we don't have reasonable session limits, eventually the members will either be retired or millionaires," he said. "That would be one of the worst things that could happen. We need a diverse membership, and lengthy sessions contribute to folks giving up on serving."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.