The biennial system gives legislators more time to renew relationships with constituents, to mend political fences and to campaign for re-election. Annual sessions inevitably lead to a spiraling of legislative costs, since legislators and other assembly personnel are brought together twice as often. The responsibilities of a legislature have become so burdensome that they can no longer be discharged on an alternate-year basis. More frequent meetings might raise the status of the legislature, thereby helping to check the flow of power to the executive branch. Continuing legislative oversight of the administration becomes more feasible with annual sessions, and administrative accountability for legislative policies is more easily enforced.
States can respond more rapidly to new federal laws.
Annual sessions could help make the policy-making process more timely and orderly and could diminish the need for special sessions. E-mail this story to a friend. Kentucky Connect and may not be republished without permission. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the expressed written consent of Kentucky Connect is prohibited.