Legislators meddle so often in local affairs that railing against this habit gets wearisome. But Horry County Council's legislatively inspired vote April 8 to impose tougher zoning regulations on hog and poultry farms merits special attention.

That night, the council rashly passed the ordinance on second reading. County Council member John Boyd of Aynor rightly chastised the majority for its lack of forethought.

The council heard no testimony from folks the ordinance would affect. Moreover, the council majority acted even though state environmental regulations are not likely to allow large-scale animal farms in a coastal county such as ours.

Why the sloppiness? Because the S.C. House had passed Rep. Billy Witherspoon's hog-farm bill a few days earlier. The bill restricts S.C. counties' power to impose antipollution restrictions on large-scale animal farms.

The bill, as amended, leaves on the books local farm zoning already in effect. Council members wanted to get their ordinance on the books before the bill became law. Thus did reactionary local legislation of poor quality arise from the House's trampling of home rule, with most local legislators taking part.

Joining Witherspoon, R-Conway, in approving the bill on final action were Horry County Republican Reps. Tracy Edge, Liston Barfield, Thad Viers and Alan Clemmons. Only no-voter Rep. Tom Keegan, R-Surfside Beach, showed respect for local judgment on pollution.

None of this may matter. S.C. Sen. Arthur Ravenel, R-Mount Pleasant, vows to kill Witherspoon's bill. Should that not work out, Gov. Mark Sanford promises to veto it. So the council now can balance the needs of Horry County animal farmers with the fragile coastal ecology, in confidence that local legislators won't second-guess them.

Local leaders are better suited to strike such balances. But legislators persist in substituting their judgment, blissfully keeping alive a longtime S.C. tradition that is overdue for passage into history.