Jul 27, 2007 2 min read

Pennsylvania legislators clearly abhor missing any summer vacation time. After finally getting around to passing a fiscal-year budget – 16 days late including a one-day state government showdown tossed in for good measure – the Legislature adjourned and fled Harrisburg faster than you can say beach-blanket bingo.

Our poor legislators must be exhausted. So exhausted, legislators couldn’t face a couple of days to hang around the capital and deal with smoking-ban legislation.

So exhausted, legislators simply couldn’t be bothered to hang around and deal with legislation that would move up the 2008 presidential primary so Pennsylvanians can actually have some real input in the presidential nominating process.

So exhausted, legislators decided to deal with Gov. Ed Rendell’s energy program in a special Sept. 17 session that was a pivotal part of the budget compromise between the Legislature and Rendell.

At the risk of being caustic, where is it written that the Legislature is entitled to scamper off in the middle of July, leaving unfinished business to wait until the middle of September?

Most Pennsylvanians went to work on Monday and will go to work next Monday and the Monday after that.

So think about it: What other lucky Pennsylvanians get to brush off important work – including crucial public-health legislation such as the statewide smoking ban – just to get a couple of months away from the main office?

It’s hard to believe that the legislators actually think that is just fine to let smoking-ban legislation and other important work sit until September so they can get away from Harrisburg for the summer.

Sure, beach time is important. And it’s great work if you can get it.

But it’s still hard to fathom.