Now, we're really getting excited. One of the most ardent opponents of shortening the length of the legislative sessions has signed on to a proposed constitutional amendment that, at the least, would likely reduce the amount of time lawmakers spend in Columbia.

Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn F. McConnell has long resisted efforts to move up the mandatory June adjournment date. He still doesn't think that's a good idea. But he has agreed to a proposed amendment authored by Charleston Sen. Chip Campsen which would allow the Senate and the House to "recede" for as long as 30 days during a session. The senator said he has concluded that when committee members are busy on such matters as budget hearings "there's no reason for the rest to hang around here."

The lawmakers are required by the constitution to meet each Tuesday for three days from the time the session begins until it ends. The constitution also requires the Legislature to open the second Tuesday in January. The requirement that the lawmakers go home by the first Thursday in June is written into state law, but not the constitution.

The House, led by Speaker David Wilkins, has been trying to change both the beginning and ending of the sessions for years. The Senate has been the holdup. Not only is the House moving once again to amend the constitution to move the opening during odd-numbered years to the first Tuesday in February, the proposal includes making the second Thursday in May the mandatory adjournment date. We were encouraged last month to learn that for the first time the House proposal had the support of nearly a dozen senators who were co-authors of a similar measure.

But far more telling is the fact that the Campsen measure has a super majority of the Senate as co-sponsors. That means it has the necessary support to put the constitutional amendment on the ballot. The odds now are the highest ever that there will be some action to force a more efficient use of the lawmakers' time -- which should encourage more good men and women to seek office -- not to mention save the taxpayers some money. Hurrah for persistence.