While many students were grappling with finals this past December, state legislators were also struggling to meet their last examination of the year.

Instead of final tests, the legislators' challenge came in the form of a mass of bills which needed attention before the two-year General Assembly session came to an end.

State Rep. Lynn Herman, R-Centre, said December was unique because of the number of controversial issues with which the General Assembly dealt, but said he saw no severe problems.

"This was a very busy, time-consuming session," Herman said. "We dealt with a lot of necessary legislation."

Bills before the legislature in the last month of 1988 included hazardous waste disposal, catastrophic health insurance, tax reform, small games of chance, agricultural land preservation and the state minimum wage.

"In any two-year session, it would be nice to see bills develop more quickly. Everything seems to come at once -- at the end of the session or the deadline," Herman said. "I'd like it to be a more expedient process."

Other local legislators saw the rush as a more commonplace Harrisburg event.

"Unfortunately, it's the rule, not the exception," said State Rep. Ruth Rudy, D-Centre. "There's a flurry of activity every year before recess, especially in a lame duck session."

Rudy described the rush as the sudden "realization that for the legislation to be passed before the end of discussion, it has to be introduced."

She said the large amount of legislation created no problems for general assembly members because the issues were already familiar.

"Most people voted on pieces of these bills in some form -- in some very similar form fashioned previously," Rudy said. "Thus, we're familiar with the legislation and what it entails with a few minor variations. It's been bounced around in the general assembly for quite some time."

Sen. J. Doyle Corman, R-Centre, agreed. "It almost always happens," he said. "With controversial issues, one side or another always finds a reason to put it off. They're always amended or studied. At the end of the two-year session, it has to come up or the issue goes down.

"When the crunch time comes, we finally have to face the issues," Corman said.

He said the crunch of legislation also precedes the summer recess at the end of June, when the general state budget must be finalized.

"I have talked about how things could be stretched out in the Republican caucus," Corman said. He said more time could be spent early in the session dealing with committee leaders and ironing out flaws at the early stages.

Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer, R-Blair, said this session's legislation was delayed because of wrangling with Casey over the 1988-89 general budget.

"The budget (passed in October) delayed implementation of much of the legislation we passed" at the end of the session, Jubelirer said.

The result was "as emotional a period on time and content as I've seen for some time," he said.

Jubelirer said some bills -- including the tax reform bill which would replace some municipal taxes viewed as "nuisance" taxes with income-based taxes -- created difficulties for legislators because of technical details, leading to numerous complaints to senate leaders.

"People saw legislation 45 minutes before they voted on it," Jubelirer said. "They have a right to read and understand the legislation. They can't represent their constituents faithfully unless they fully understand the bills they're voting on."