Fix problem, then go home

State lawmakers are getting back together next week for a quick legislative fix that will enable the state's unemployed residents to qualify for extended benefits. It's the least they can do.

It's also the most they should do.

Those who want to impeach Gov. Mark Sanford ought to wait for the completion of a State Ethics Commission review of his air travel. That's only fair, though fairness is not necessarily a concern for some of the governor's more strident opponents.

The Legislature also should wait until its January session to consider reorganization of the state Employment Security Commission. The ESC badly needs reform, but the special session isn't the right time or place to deal with it.

Using next week's session to address ESC reform was suggested by Gov. Mark Sanford on Tuesday during a roundtable discussion on the state's unemployment woes. Later in the day, however, the governor backed off that ill-considered idea: "It's going to be a longer issue. It will not be resolved in a day or two days."

At this point, expanding the scope of the session would simply provide an opportunity for legislators to go off in different directions, even if the topic were limited to the ESC. For instance, Sen. Robert Ford, who was first to ask for next week's special session (along with fellow Charleston Democrat Wendell Gaillard) tells us he would try to block any reorganization effort. The senator doesn't believe major ESC reform is warranted, despite recent events.

In contrast, House Speaker Bobby Harrell is inclined to undertake a thorough reorganization. Rep. Harrell, R-Charleston, worked on a reform plan last session, spurred by earlier agency shortcomings. Those included the ESC's failure to provide timely information about the state's dwindling unemployment fund and its apparent unwillingness to cooperate with the Department of Commerce on job creation issues.

So while the latest gaffe is the agency's most dramatic, it's not the only occasion it has stumbled. The ESC is controlled by a three-member appointed board, all ex-legislators. Its members draw six-figure salaries and get generous per diem and travel expenses. Think they deserve it?

Rep. Harrell sought the assistance of the Legislative Audit Council last session with the expectation that its work would provide the basis for comprehensive reform of the ESC. The Audit Council expects to complete its review before the next regular session begins. A similar effort was prelude to a legislative reform of the state Department of Transportation in 2007.

The two-day session, called by Rep. Harrell and Senate President Pro Tempore Glenn McConnell, should give quick relief to those 120,000 residents who have lost benefits. They estimate that legislators can get the job done in two days.

Wrapping up the emergency session in short order will allow the Legislature to fix a specific problem while precluding the possibility for mischief. And that will be a relief to a state which has seen more than its share of governmental follies in 2009.