Give our legislators credit. They said they'd come back to Raleigh and override Governor Easley's veto of the boat-towing bill and that's just what they did -- in 43 minutes flat. The bill became law in time for the Labor Day weekend; boater-haulers are happy; roads are less safe.

Now, you could say that 43 minutes must be some sort of speed record, but in fact last Wednesday's overwhelming override votes in the House and Senate stand as the only such actions in North Carolina history. So this was going to set a record whether legislative leaders allowed debate and discussion, or not.

The latter option won in a landslide. In less than an hour, with no debate, Easley's objections were dismissed.

After all, why wouldn't a bill that allows boats up to 10 feet wide to be towed without a permit, that allows watercraft up to 9 1/2 feet wide to be towed at night, by drivers as young as 18 and by drivers whose blood alcohol level is twice that allowed for commercial truck drivers -- why wouldn't such a bill be an improvement over the more restrictive (if only recently enforced) existing law?

And what does it matter that the State Highway Patrol says the new rules will present a wide-ranging danger on narrow roads, especially to school buses? Members of the House and Senate, highway-safety specialists all, surely know better.

Some things, of course, they really do know better than the rest of us. For example, they know which way the political tides are running. Boating interests were up in arms, painting a picture of canceled fishing tournaments and belly-up boatbuilders. Legislative powerhouses lined up behind the power-boaters. This was a test of strength, and in such a contest compromise loses out. Republican or Democrat, it was easy to override Easley and go home at full throttle.

Here's a tip of the hat to four of the few who didn't go along -- the Triangle-area representatives who voted against a veto override: Verla Insko, D-Orange; Paul Luebke, D-Durham; Mickey Michaux, D-Durham; and Jennifer Weiss, D-Wake.

When all was (not) said and done, the governor remarked "I hope and pray no one gets hurt." Amen to that.

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