The Kansas Legislature bills itself as a fiscally responsible body, but you wouldn’t know it from the way lawmakers have handled this year’s so-called wrap-up session.

Keep in mind that the 40 senators and 125 House members each receive $183.80 daily for service and expenses while the Legislature is in session.

That totals $30,327 a day. So taxpayers benefit when legislators conduct their business expeditiously.

Lawmakers certainly failed to do so this week. On the contrary:

-- House members got mad about some of the Senate’s budget demands and walked out of the statehouse on Saturday.

-- Miffed Senate members vowed that, in retaliation, they would conduct no votes on Monday, when the House returned.

Legislation at this stage of the session requires cooperation between the chambers. House members cooled their heels most of Monday waiting for senators to show up and sign off on their bills.

-- Both chambers eventually devoted themselves to the unproductive task of passing yet another bill authorizing two coal-fired plants to be built in western Kansas.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is virtually certain to veto the legislation, for the same good reasons she nixed two previous coal plant bills. And this time she has an extra incentive: the newest bill may be unconstitutional.

The provision allowing construction of the coal plants is attached to an economic development measure with several development initiatives and projects. The Kansas Constitution prohibits “bundling,” or inserting unrelated pieces of legislation into one bill.

Coal-plant supporters are labeling the project as an economic development measure, but it’s an odd fit with other portions of the bill.

Lawmakers will have a chance to override the governor’s anticipated veto on May 29, a day usually reserved for ceremonial
end-of-the-session activities. While they’re gathered, they should agree to dock themselves at least two days’ pay for the time they’ve wasted in the past week.

Tying the legislative body in knots is no way to wrap up.