2009 Assembly Session: Tough

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The 426th Maryland General Assembly Session started yesterday with two things that everyone knew. For starters, the annual call for bi-partisanship. This year it was made by Governor Martin O'Malley (D), despite the fact Senate President Thomas Mike Miller (D-Dist. 27) said that he wanted to bury the GOP.

House Minority Leader Anthony O'Donnell (R-Dist. 29C) in comments before the chamber convened it's session said that Republicans welcomes the call to cooperate and to work together, but they have to be invited to the table. "If were invited to the table after discussions are held and decisions are already made, that [is] not cooperation from my perspective."



This was the scene in the beginning of the day at the Phillip's Restaurant in downtown Annapolis. That was where WEAA Radio host Marc Steiner held his sixth annual Annapolis Summit which will air tonight following President Bush's farewell address on Public Radio Delmarva. The two hoour forum featued Senate President Miller, House Speaker Michael Busch (D-Dist. 30) and Governor O'Malley.



Governor O'Malley answered questions regarding the sales tax, teacher pensions, police spying, open space preservation, BGE rate hikes and the death penalty. You will also hear him mention on tonight's show that Government House has been donned with a purple flood light. In regards to the sales tax, O'Malley said that it needed to be modernized from being the 42nd lowest sales tax in the country. The governor also talked about teacher pensions, stating that he will be doing his best to make sure that teacher pensions are covered by the state. He added that we is also talking with the Maryland Association of Counties to come up with a solution.



In the meantime as the session was officially convened, the Senate unanimously selected as the Senate President Pro Temp Baltimore City Senator Nathaniel McFadden (D-Dist. 45). Senate President Miller was re-elected in his capacity again, with State Sens. Alex Mooney (R-Dist. 3), Andy Harris (R-Dist. 7) and Janet Greenip (R-Dist. 33) were the only dissenters in the selection.

In his opening remarks to the Senate, the Governor stated that the road ahead would be difficult, but the mission of One Maryland is the same adding that they have never been more needed at this current time.

Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) said that he disagreed with those who say that a potential victory in the slots fight would be his starting point for future endeavors in 2010, adding that he was going to turn the page from losing the slots fight to work on the budget. He has offered up $360 million in a rainy day fund to help with the budget woe.

Also in other news, as first reported on Maryland Politics Today, Governor O'Malley said that should the General Assembly fail to repeal capital punishment, new death penalty protocols will be ready to go. While talking to reporters following Steiner's forum, the Governor stated that protocols were being worked on while the death penalty commission was conducting it's work towards a recommendation. That recommendation was that the state should repeal it based on geographical and racial disparities, similar to a report conducted by the University of Maryland in 2002.

The governor was hopeful that capital punishment would be repealed in Maryland this year, adding that he believes that the report by the commission is very good and hopes that every member of the general assembly reads the report.