Perhaps the scariest part of the S.C. Constitution is Article III, Section 9. It empowers the General Assembly to convene its annual session on the second Tuesday in January but sets no limit on how long sessions can last.

In 1976, S.C. legislators, no doubt sensing the fear that South Carolinians feel when legislators are sequestered too long in Columbia, mandated that annual sessions adjourn no later than 5 p.m. the first Thursday in June. But, as we saw this week, not even that date and hour mark the real end of an annual session. Legislators often return to Columbia in mid-June to consider gubernatorial vetoes.

Sessions that last from two weeks after Christmas to one week before the summer solstice no longer make sense.

Legislators' role in S.C. public life is not as extensive as it used to be - and could stand to be even less extensive.

Until about three decades ago, there was justification for long sessions. By custom and tradition, legislators ran counties and school districts, in addition to running the state. During the typical session, they spent two to three days per week in Columbia and the rest of the week at home, touching base with constituents and overseeing local agencies.

But with the advent of home rule, local governments took greater control of their own affairs. Legislators don't need to spend so many days at home during the session.

Moreover, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, legislators accorded the S.C. governorship more power under Gov. Carroll Campbell, including the power to propose budgets and veto legislation. So they no longer play as dominant a role as they used to in executive functions - though, as Gov. Mark Sanford notes, they still meddle too much in management of state agencies. Their takeover of the Santee Cooper board this year would be a prime example.

Are we alone in thinking there's a link between legislators' tendency to overstep the bounds of reason in lawmaking and the length of their sessions? Legislators don't work seriously on the budget until mid-May. Do they really need to spend the previous four months in Columbia dreaming up ways to enhance their power? Why not cut right to the chase in January and February?

This isn't some newfangled idea from up North. It's an oldfangled idea from down South. In Florida, a state far larger and more complex than ours, the Legislature meets annually for 60 consecutive days, beginning in March. House and Senate committees meet during the rest of the year to develop legislation and work through budget issues. The Legislature hits the ground running when session begins.

Our public life would be much less stressful if S.C. legislators transacted the state's business in the dead of winter and adjourned before Easter. They've kicked the idea of shorter sessions around before but never acted on it. It's past time for that to change.