The Indiana General Assembly has two different kinds of sessions—long and short—that alternate each year. The long session is when legislators write the state’s budget, which covers two years. That generally takes from January to the end of April, while the short session usually ends by the middle of March.

Dr. Andy Downs, emeritus director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics, explained that this arrangement is written into law because Indiana’s first lawmakers did not want a full-time legislature, and the easiest way to ensure a part-time one was to specify end dates.

Downs said it’s because Indiana believes in individuality, which some would refer to as a frontier mentality.

“In other words, I will take care of myself. If I need help, I will get it from my neighbors first and then from the government second. So we were never really looking for a particularly large or involved government,” Downs said.

Legislators begin meeting in winter in part due to Indiana’s agricultural and historical heritage. Winter was (and is) the time of year when a lot of people were not engaged in farming activity, so they were able to devote time to the legislature.

Whether long or short, the session can’t run over, but it can end early. The session can end by reaching its deadline, or legislators can get done with their work and vote to end it.