Full-Time Legislators still not the norm

The National Council of State Legislatures has some new data on occupations of state legislators.

Here in Pennsylvania, 77.5% reported their occupation as "full-time legislator" (even though PA has a full time legislature, some members consider something else their occupation, either what they do outside the days in session, or what they did before entering office).  Nationally, only 16% consider themselves "full-time legislators" - while this is a sharp rise from less than 3% in 1976, and now tops lawyer as the top profession, it means that an overwhelming majority are not full-time legislators.

Regionally, full-time legislators remain extremely rare in the South (5%).  Coincidently, the Southern states also tend to have lower taxes and less regulation.