Editorial: A watchword for the legislative veto session: wait

As Illinois lawmakers prepare to convene the so-called 2014 fall veto session, we have a suggestion that's unusual for us on what they should do. Almost nothing.

Or, stated better, we urge them to take seriously the direction often applied to physicians and "first, do no harm."

In the context of a lame-duck legislature with, especially significant, an outgoing governor, the two directives aren't far apart. For, whatever the legislature could be poised to "accomplish" before the new leadership takes control, its actions on topics including the minimum wage, income taxes, staffing of fire stations and even school funding have the potential to create much mischief without key players being held accountable for it.

Outgoing Gov. Pat Quinn, who has made no secret of his intent to pass, at least, a minimum-wage increase, told reporters last week that leaders are elected for a full term and they should be prepared to act at any time during that term. "Every day of your term you have to be ready to do your job and I would say to all the legislators, 'This is not holiday time. This is workin' time,'" Quinn said.

It may well be that leaders should be expected to serve every day of the period for which they're elected, but "workin' time" doesn't necessarily have to mean "votin' time." Indeed, lawmakers - and the new governor - will have ample time during the next week and a half to hear testimony and do research on significant problems, and they should use every minute of it constructively.

They should learn all they can about the broad impact of a minimum-wage increase. They should study the practical effects of a proposed redistribution of state education funds. They should review carefully the state's budget outlook.

Yes, there is that matter of a potential vote on overriding Quinn's veto of a bill that would make it easier for ride-sharing services to compete against traditional taxi cab companies, and action on that would certainly be appropriate. But otherwise, unless it involves something that this session got its name for - that is, to consider overriding a governor's veto - they should not be enacting new laws that many who are leaving will not be accountable for and that many who are replacing them will have to live with.

Representatives of Republican Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner and the Democratic leadership of the House and Senate reported "productive" results of postelection meetings last week. That's encouraging, and it suggests the kind of atmosphere that will be needed if truly bipartisan, truly effective solutions are to be developed in the next General Assembly. Premature actions now can only complicate those efforts and could do them irreparable harm.

Remember that, lawmakers. Work, as you must, during these final days of the current legislative calendar, but when it comes to voting on substantive matters, heed another important injunction. Wait.