Of course, this year the deadlock resulted in the latest budget ever, and all but a handful of incumbent lawmakers were re-elected easily.

That generosity does not reflect a political philosophy, but a practical reason: most incumbent lawmakers are Democrats.

The moves came after the growing outcry about state government cost a few incumbent lawmakers their seats in November and gave scares to a few more.

Not all of the leaks involving incumbent lawmakers have been about Republicans.

The result, critics say, is an obvious conflict of interest, in which incumbent lawmakers get to draw their own district lines.

They point out that the committee, formed 14 years ago, has never brought charges against an incumbent lawmaker.

So with the attorney general's post drawing the interest of at least two incumbent lawmakers, local politicians see a rare opportunity.

The November election, meanwhile, could be a graveyard for incumbent lawmakers whose constituents have watched the dithering over the budget with dismay.

For incumbent lawmakers, lobbyists are often eager to play such a role.

The state court plan that formed the basis for the Legislature's bill clearly protects the incumbent black lawmakers but had only two Hispanic districts.