The South Carolina House of Representatives may have done its best work by voting to reduce its time in session.

Speaker David Wilkins again last week gained overwhelming approval for what he jokingly calls "my annual bill to shorten the legislative session."

The Senate has not concurred through the years, and that needs to change.

The legislature meets for five months of each year, which is too much.

Legislative calendars for this year compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures show many states getting the job done in less time. South Carolina's start date of Jan. 11 is typical. But more than 20 states will finish before South Carolina does on June 2. Among them are Maryland, Arizona, Virginia, Tennessee and Indiana.

Some state legislatures meet year-round, but they serve large states, such as New York, California and Ohio. Those legislators are paid and staffed to be full-time workers. But South Carolina is a small state and its General Assembly is, in theory, to be made up of citizen-legislators.

Wilkins argues that a shorter legislative session would encourage "more people to get involved in the legislative process by reducing the amount of time they're away from their families and businesses."

He also says it would save the taxpayers a considerable amount of money.

Others on the outside looking in are scared to death when the legislature is in session because of all the harm they can do with both new laws and changes to existing laws. The less time they spend in session, the less mischief they can create.

The House has approved two bills to shorten the session. The first would eliminate a bit of legislative housekeeping from the state constitution, where it does not belong. The constitution mandates that the General Assembly meet in full session the first three weeks in the first year of a two-year legislative session. Wilkins says the time could be better spent in committee meetings so that when the session begins, bills are ready for action.

The second bill easily passed in the House would cut time at the end of the session, calling for adjournment by the second Thursday in May rather than the first Thursday in June.

That should be plenty of time for the real business of the state to take place, while cutting out time spent on ceremonial politicking.