As even-year "short" sessions of the General Assembly go, the one that adjourned Friday was fairly routine, although lawmakers did strike a few sparks here and there, for better or for worse. These sessions during past episodes of stalemate have dragged on into late summer, so it's hard to knock a mid-July wind-up with a respectable state budget in hand.

Notable during the two months and change that lawmakers spent in Raleigh was the stewardship in the state House of Speaker Joe Hackney, a veteran member who took over in the wake of scandals involving former Speaker Jim Black, who's now doing time in federal prison. Black embarrassed the entire legislature, and was known as a champion of some special-interest groups. In addition, Republicans complained they didn't get a fair shake in the Democratic-controlled chamber.

The minority party reviews of Hackney, who pledged to be more open, were pretty good. A curious stumble happened toward the end of the session, when the speaker blocked a measure to make it easier for people who had successfully sued for access to public records to be compensated for their legal fees. He said he didn't want to rush it. That wasn't a very compelling reason.

In any case, lawmakers made some progress on mental health care reform, tightening the reins on "privatization" that proved costly to the tune of several hundred million dollars with questionable benefit. The shortcomings in the system were exposed in a News & Observer series, and it now appears the issue has gotten everyone's attention. Still more attention will have to be paid, however, in next year's long session. There remain questions about the closings of two hospitals, Dorothea Dix in Raleigh and John Umstead in Butner, with the opening of the new Central Regional hospital, also in Butner. Mental health care for those unable to afford it -- good, efficient care -- must remain a priority.

The governor will have more control over communities' responses to drought after this session, and that's good. Water supply shortages are likely to be a recurring problem. Measures to require some counties in the state to reassess property more often for tax purposes -- when values spike or fall -- also will bring more fairness to the system. A shorter time frame also should reduce "sticker shock" for homeowners who are stunned, and angry, when an upward reassessment after, for example, eight years (in Wake County) catches them by surprise.

The budget, which after all is the purpose of a short session, included a lot of borrowing for construction projects that won't require voter approval, which is a little troublesome. But it contained modest raises for state workers and teachers. And it increased the amount that prisoners who are exonerated and have been wrongfully imprisoned can claim from the state.

Legislation that was supposed to strengthen the effort to combat gangs and the violence they wreak has gotten mixed reviews. Some prosecutors say it doesn't do much. That will likely have to be revisited.

Industry lobbyists pressed hard, over the warnings of safety advocates, for changes allowing longer truck trailers and wider boats to be hauled on more state roads. Although some compromises were reached, legislators shouldn't have been so ready to put ordinary motorists at risk.

For all that, Hackney, and Senate Democratic leader Marc Basnight of Manteo, the president pro tem, are experienced in this business of government, and they avoided in this session prolonged delays or much wasting of the public's time. Next year, some follow-up challenges await. Let's hope the leadership returns to town prepared to act efficiently, openly, and with their priorities in order.

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