State lawmakers have a $471-million budget shortfall to close, and an expulsion effort to consider

The first time I walked into the State Capitol, I wondered "what is making all these people walk like Olympic racers down these halls?"

I almost got run over by some walkers; the new guy needed to get out of the way.

To be sure, the Capitol hallways extend in a square, making them ideal for a quick walk around the square for exercise or just to clear the brain.

And if you hang around the Capitol long enough, you realize that people who work there – either as staffers or elected officials – need to walk off some steam every once in a while.

You'll probably see a lot of that during this year's s...