Jan. 14 marks the opening of the 100th session of the South Dakota Legislature.

Our elected officials are a popular target for chastisement. Certainly there are times they merit some verbal lashes, however, I think the majority are in office to serve. That is especially true in the state Legislature.

In exchange for their annual salary of $16,348, they will pay for their own phone and postage and get paid 5 cents per mile for their first and last trip to Pierre. (They do receive standard reimbursement for other commutes.) There is no paid staff and the days are long — often beginning with 7:45 a.m. committee meetings and extending to the evening to meet with constituent groups who visit Pierre.

While the Legislature is in session for 40 days, a legislator’s term is two years. In the off-season there are interim committee hearings and time spent helping constituents and doing research to draft legislation for the following session. I am thankful we have a citizen’s Legislature, but they pay a price.

Our legislators often must turn their vocation over to a colleague, miss their children’s activities and put their life on hold for two-plus months.

On Jan. 4, the Brookings community laid to rest one of the state’s finest public servants — Arne Brown. He served in the House from 1993 to 1996 and in the Senate from 1997 to 2004, including service as president pro tempore of the Senate in 2001-04. The Brookings Republican was widely respected on both sides of the aisle.

He was considered a man of principles and integrity who, after a long and successful career in health administration, turned his energy to public service, first on the Brookings City Commission and then the state Legislature.

So the next time you’re tempted to curse your legislators, count to 10. Then go ahead and contact them. They want to hear from their constituents. But they also appreciate your prayers.