The General Assembly convened at noon Tuesday to begin one of the most important sessions in many years and there were few surprises. Rep. Joe Hackney was elected to his second term as Speaker of the House and the Senate elected Marc Basnight to his ninth term as Senate President Pro Tem.

Family members sat with lawmakers on the House and Senate floor for the swearing-in ceremonies, part of the traditional opening day rituals that include a canned food drive and lunches served in the building's symmetrical courtyards.

Senator Joe Sam Queen played in a bluegrass band that entertained passers-by in one part of the building and lobbyists and state officials roamed the halls and packed the galleries. Out of town news reporters interviewed their local lawmakers and the topic was almost always the same, the state budget shortfall that could reach $3 billion next year.

Hackney does not have a reputation as a speechmaker, but he hit the right tone in his acceptance speech Tuesday, telling House members that the state's serious challenges make it a  "time to do something worthy to be remembered."

Hackney talked about ethics and open government and the need to invest in education, green jobs, and public transit.  Legislative observers looking for clues about specific proposals didn't find many, though Hackney does not appear to be a fan of what he called quick-fixes to address the budget problems, pointing to other states that have "mortgaged their lotteries, toll roads and their futures."

Hackney called for an end to contentious political rhetoric and partisan bickering that distracts the lawmakers' work, though the speech was immediately followed by a partisan debate about the rules that govern the operation of the House.

Basnight offered some encouraging words about the budget crisis in his remarks to Senators, saying "I would encourage you not to find your way out of this difficulty with cuts alone." Basnight and other Senate leaders made headlines recently by saying that education would not be spared in this year's budget cuts.

Nobody at the legislative building was talking specific numbers on the first day, but Governor Beverly Perdue was. Her office released a list of potential budget reductions submitted by state agencies in response to Perdue's call for suggestions about where to cut.

Much of the list is absurd and has generated surprising little outrage. It includes a $25 million cut in community mental health services, which ought to be one of the last places to spend less money, given the state of mental health care. It also calls for closing two 25-bed adult mental units, just what the system needs.

It freezes enrollment in Health Choice, the state's plan to cover children in working poor families. That's a big help for families during an economic crisis. It calls for a $14 million cut in Smart Start and a reduction in funding for basic services for people with disabilities.

It calls for an end to many Medicaid services, something long advocated by the anti-government crowd.  The aged, elderly and disabled would no longer have access to orthotics, private duty nursing, or podiatry, which is vital to help diabetics maintain their ability to walk, which is clearly a luxury. And why should poor people receive an artificial limb in a budget crisis?

There are plenty more objectionable proposals on the list that Perdue says she might adjust. She can do better than that.

Cutting mental health services now and leaving elderly and disabled people stranded should not appear on any list anywhere, whether it's preliminary or not. Hackney and Basnight need to make that clear now before the proposals go any further.

It's the first step toward doing something worthy to be remembered.