"Things are very tight here financially," she says, and many legislators "fear that lifting the limit would open the doors to other liability."

Most legislators fear early parliamentary elections, which will come about if they reject Mr. Kiriyenko for a third time.

But some legislators fear that closing some district offices will deprive parents of a place to go when they have complaints.

Southside legislators feared that only all-white schools would close.

Many parents, legislators and repressive governments fear the Internet for the same reason.

The legislators also fear that the failure and dropout rates in their own districts could be high.

Immediately following the ratification of the 19th Amendment, many legislators feared a powerful women's bloc would emerge as a result of female enfranchisement.

But legislators, knowing that more than a quarter of their constituents still smoke, have feared to offend them even in their own best health interests.

Now that the barrier has been broken, many legislators fear that the fight could continue well into the summer.

Foreign fund managers could take over the business by offering higher returns and lower costs, the legislators fear.