In a matter of hours or days, the New York State legislature will have adjourned for the year. In its final days, it will pass upwards of 500 or more bills that will land in the lap of Gov. Kathy and that is the problem worthy of discussion.

I served in the State Assembly for 23 years and during that time I was the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. During an average year as many as 4,000 bills were sent to the committee, because they all had a cost for the residents of the state. In the final hours of the session, we would review hundreds and hundreds of bills, then send many to the floor for a vote.

This year there is a rush to get the session over because there are primary election contests and the members are anxious to go home. Because of that rush, some of the bills that would have an impact on some businesses or individuals get passed, without the kind of deliberation they deserve.

I love the legislative process and am proud to have served in government, but somehow the system needs to be changed so that a multitude of bills that become law get some further serious debate. There are 150 members in the Assembly and there are quite a few who are capable of understanding most of bills that come before the House. But there are also many new members, who don’t have the experience to digest so many issues in such a short period of time.

Because of the flurry of last-minute legislating, some of the bills contain items that even the sharpest eye could miss. I remember an occasion when we received a 700-page bill making changes in the titles of executives working for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Every page looked the same, except on page 601, there was a change in the salary of the MTA Chairman. As committee chair, I stopped the bill from passing without further discussion.

Another issue that arises in the final hours is the role of legislative staff. Both the Senate and the Assembly have a large number of professional staff. Their job is to evaluate all bills that are under consideration and provide a critique of the contents. These people do a very good job, but sometimes because the staff member is new, they suggest holding up a bill over an issue that had been resolved by a previous staff member.

The next issue that should be resolved relates to how long the Legislature should be in session. Can the business of the people be done in just five months? Should the Legislature have longer sessions so that there is more time for evaluating bills? It may not be a popular suggestion, but it seems with the volume of bills it may be time for holding split sessions, one in the early part of the year and another in September.

Another issue for discussion is whether there should be public hearings on the key bills that are often rushed through at the last minute. Many of the major bills that pass are very carefully vetted, but some could use additional discussion at a public hearing. Frequently bills that pass could use modifications that would make them more effective and a public hearing could make for better legislating.

The last issue is transparency. The legislative leaders make it a point to promptly provide information on major bills that pass. But it is also important that there be more information provided on any bill that has passed which imposes a cost on any business, local government or individuals. Because of the volume of bills this type of summary can’t be done overnight, but in time it could be made available.

Some of these suggestions will not make me popular with the Assembly members, but there have to be changes made in the current way we legislate. Making changes in deep- rooted practices is like trying to turn an aircraft carrier around, but it is worth the effort.