North Carolina House may adopt limits on sessions

RALEIGH, N.C. -- After two years of meeting nearly incessantly, North Carolina's state representatives may soon be willing to stop hanging around the House.

The state Senate has tried to set limits on legislative sessions, but the House has never endorsed the idea.

But many hope that attitude changed when last year's session ran from January to December, becoming the longest in state history.

This year's session, which started in May, looks like it will extend into October.

House Speaker Jim Black says enough is enough.

The Democrat expects a bill to limit session length to be considered this week. And he predicted it would gain a three-fifths majority and be put before voters in November to add a provision to the state constitution.

Both halves of North Carolina's two-year sessions traditionally end in midsummer. The first year session begins in January, and the second year's "short session" starts in May.

In the two-year session that began in 2001, the House has met on 234 days and the Senate has met on 222 days.

That might not be a hardship in states whose legislative members receive full-time pay. But North Carolina lawmakers make only $13,951 per year.

"Most people can't afford to spend a full year down here for a part-time Legislature with part-time pay," said Leslie Bevacqua, a lobbyist with the N.C. Citizens for Business and Industry.