It was already 9 a.m. Thursday and Del. Harvey Morgan (R-Middlesex) had already been on the job for a good three hours.

Soon after arriving at his office, phones were ringing off the hook; e-mails were coming in left and right and already there were visitors lined up waiting to discuss an array of issues with the delegate.

According to Morgan, the day of a state legislator usually begins before 5 a.m. and doesn’t end until nearly 10 p.m. And during that time, he or she is balancing committee meetings, sessions of the House or Senate, meetings with constituents and lobbyists, and requests from the media.

Morgan’s wife, Mary Helen, who is often seen working alongside her husband, said that the time of a delegate is "so focused" for nearly 18 hours, on so many things, "from childcare to dog care to wells to septic systems to transportation funding. They’ve got to be flexible and quick enough to catch all nuances of new bills so not to pair legislat...