Every legislative session, there are a couple of issues that slumber until there's a golden opportunity to spring to the top of the legislative agenda.

In 2004, South Carolina lawmakers will be preoccupied and consumed with the state budget, tax reform and government restructuring. As the session drags on, there's a great likelihood some of these "sleeper" issues will awaken when there's an opportunity.

The advantage, of course, for politicians pushing a sleeper issue is they are able to take the process somewhat by surprise. While most are looking in another direction, they could maneuver something through the General Assembly that has a bigger impact than anyone ever thought. The down side is the issue might not be as fully debated or considered as it would have been were lawmakers not so consumed by the big issues.

In the coming session, there are several issues that could nab an opportunity. After interviews with about a dozen people involved in the legislative process, here's a list of some major issues that might be awakened from a snooze this year:

Tougher seat belt laws. Even though studies show more South Carolinians are wearing seatbelts, the state ranks third in highway traffic fatalities. Editorialists have been pushing recently for tougher seat belt laws. Lawmakers are looking at it.

Tougher drunken driving laws. South Carolina also has the highest rate of alcohol-related traffic deaths. Even though lawmakers lowered the drunken driving limit from a 0.10 blood alcohol level to 0.08, lawmakers will be under pressure to cut alcohol-related deaths.

State Sen. John Land, D-Clarendon, believes fatalities would drop if the state had more troopers on the highways. The Highway Patrol is down nearly 300 troopers, he said, due to budget cuts.

"One of these days, we'll wake up and understand cheaper isn't always better," he said.

Water compact. There's increasing interest in ways South Carolina and nearby states can share water. But if South Carolina's liberal water use laws remain intact, the state may not be able to enforce any agreements it develops with neighbors.

"Water issues are really percolating to the top of our list of problems," said Rep. Seth Whipper, D-Charleston.

School funding. In recent news, state Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum highlighted that state schools need more than $450 million to meet federally imposed standards. In addition, the state faces millions of dollars in school-funding liabilities if a judge in an equity funding trial rules rural schools have been shortchanged over the years.

"Rural areas are on the verge of being forgotten," said S.C. Rep. Jay Lucas, R-Darlington. "Our needs are just not getting met."

Prison guards. The state currently has the highest vacancy rate for corrections guards in the South. If some kind of funding isn't found to hire and keep more guards, South Carolina's prisons could become more dangerous.

Port security. Lawmakers worry the state could be a terrorism target because of the state's huge port operations in Charleston. Some legislators want to see legislation to tighten security at state ports.

Local ordinances. A bill before the General Assembly would limit local communities' ability to set ordinances tougher than state standards. County and municipal groups are vehemently opposed to this proposal. While it is expected to die, this bill stemming from a reaction to local efforts to keep out mega-hog farms could rise to the top again.

Information technology. With all of the focus on restructuring, lawmakers could consider changing the state's information technology framework to make it more streamlined and less duplicative, state Rep. Rick Quinn, R-Richland, said.

Bottom line: While the headlines will focus on big-ticket legislative items next year, the sleeper issues may have a more sweeping impact on you down the road.