In Pennsylvania, the home of America's largest full-time Legislature, plans by a lawmaker to reduce its size normally would count as good news.

But there is a huge drawback to the proposal offered Wednesday by Republican Sen. David Argall of Schuylkill County: It would take 44 years to cut the size of the state House from the 203 representatives to 153; it would take 23 years to cut the Senate from 50 members to 45.

Mr. Argall's phase-out would reduce the House by 10 seats per decade, starting in 2013, and the Senate by one member in 2013, two in 2023 and two more in 2033. That's too slow, but Mr. Argall is on the right track.

First, he recognizes how unlikely it is that lawmakers would vote to eliminate their own jobs, so the idea of phasing out members rather than lopping seats off all at once is worth considering.

Second, he suggests that the terms of office for House members should be extended, from the current two-year terms to four. That would give lawmakers more time to spend doing the people's business and less time fund raising and running their re-election campaigns.

Any change in the size of the Legislature is going to be a slow process because, as a constitutional amendment, it requires approval in two different legislative sessions and then by a statewide referendum. But Mr. Argall's timetable is far too slow. It shouldn't take two generations to enact a change that is already favored by a majority of Pennsylvanians.

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