One of the most important things we seek from our elected officials is to act in our best interest. While this may be the case for the most part, there are as many instances where we see various pieces of legislation, at every level of government, that are passed or defeated without the proper amount of time for inspection or scrutiny.

This is especially true during ‘lame-duck’ sessions that refer to a period of time when a body meets after an election cycle but before the next group of elected officials takes office.

It is always unfortunate that during this time, we see too many occurrences where bills are “fast-tracked” through the process and rarely see the normal committee or debate in the respective legislative body before a vote is taken.

This process can quickly cause the integrity of the normal course of the legislative branch to potentially become flawed.

It is time to look at these sessions and determine if they are necessary and productive. Many states, including our neighbors in West Virginia and Kentucky, do not have these types of sessions and still perform their desired function for their constituents.

In the end, for our elected leaders to ensure the best decisions possible are made on behalf of the residents they serve, we must always be cognizant of the potential pitfalls of moving too quick.