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Expect these topics to come up during the General Assembly session, Jan. 14 to April 13:
Budget: The economic downturn has hit state revenues hard, with income and sales taxes coming in slower than expected. Gov. Martin O'Malley has already overseen hundreds of millions in cuts to the $14 billion state operating budget for the current fiscal year, and $200 million more are on the way. The pain is being felt by furloughed state workers and local governments.
What to watch: By law, O'Malley must submit a spending proposal Jan. 21, a week after the 90-day session opens. Because it must be balanced, he has to find a way to fill a nearly $2 billion gap between expected growth in programs and anticipated revenue. A year after O'Malley pushed $1.3 billion in tax increases through the legislature, more tax increases are considered a near-impossibility, politically speaking, and anticipated new revenue from slot machine gambling is years away. That likely means steep spending cuts are on the way, and sacred cows such as education and health care might not be immune.
Death penalty: Maryland's de facto death penalty moratorium effectively ended in April 2008, after the Supreme Court ruled that Kentucky's lethal injection process, basically the same as the one here, was constitutional. But there have been no executions in Maryland since then, and critics want to eliminate capital punishment, saying the risk of executing an innocent person is too great and the death penalty is unevenly applied to different races and in different jurisdictions. The Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment, headed by former U.S. Attorney General Benjamin R. Civiletti, has issued a report that recommends eliminating the death penalty.
What to watch: O'Malley is a death penalty opponent, and he has said he will once again promote abolishing the death penalty. The key decision will take place in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, where elimination has failed by a single vote in the past. Worth watching is whether votes on the panel change because of the new report.
Higher education/tuition: In December, after two years of deliberation, a 27-member state commission headed by Del. John L. Bohanan Jr. of St. Mary's County unveiled sweeping recommendations that Maryland greatly increase funding for public colleges, with particular emphasis on addressing low graduation rates at the state's four historically black campuses. The $760 million price tag is considered a nonstarter, given the state's fiscal troubles, but political leaders in Annapolis have reacted favorably to some of the recommendations.
What to watch: Bohanan and other panel members will work to make sure their recommendations don't gather dust, but it appears inevitable that years of tuition freezes at public universities are near their end. O'Malley has said he would like to keep tuition frozen for one more year, but higher eduction is the largest discretionary (or nonformula-driven) part of the state budget, and at a time when tax increases are not politically popular, tuition is a way to raise money.
Medevac helicopters: Maryland's medevac system for ferrying accident victims is expected to come under renewed scrutiny by the General Assembly after a September crash in Prince George's County killed four people. In the aftermath of the crash, a panel of experts concluded that Maryland's emergency medical helicopters could fly fewer accident victims to hospitals without lowering survival rates or affecting quality of care for patients.
What to watch: Sen. John C. Astle, an Anne Arundel County Democrat and retired helicopter pilot who flew medevac missions, and Sen. E.J. Pipkin, an Eastern Shore Republican, have proposed the creation of a Cabinet-level position to oversee emergency services, as well as other changes, such as making sure flights contain two medical personnel, not one. Lawmakers are also expected to reconsider and possibly scale back a planned $120 million fleet replacement.
Police spying: Maryland State Police officers repeatedly spied on peace activists, anti-death penalty groups and others in recent years, and entered the names of some into a law enforcement database of people thought to be terrorists or drug traffickers, a startling discovery by the American Civil Liberties Union that prompted an investigation by O'Malley. A report commissioned by the governor found that police "over-reached" and disregarded civil rights during the spying.
What to watch: State police say they have implemented new policies with strict guidelines for when spying can take place, but lawmakers say legislation is needed to make sure transgressions are not repeated.
Slots: After years of debate, in November voters approved a plan to install 15,000 slot machines in five locations throughout Maryland. A slots selection committee has begun meeting. Bids from operators are due in February, and state officials hope to speed the construction process to begin collecting hundreds of millions in taxes yearly.
What to watch: Critics say that the state's tax rate of 67 cents on the dollar after winnings are paid out leaves too little money for the construction of quality entertainment venues. If few bidders -- or the wrong type of bidders -- submit proposals, the General Assembly could tweak the plan, possibly lowering tax rates as an inducement. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, a slots proponent, predicts no significant changes this year but says some could come in the future.
Budget: The economic downturn has hit state revenues hard, with income and sales taxes coming in slower than expected. Gov. Martin O'Malley has already overseen hundreds of millions in cuts to the $14 billion state operating budget for the current fiscal year, and $200 million more are on the way. The pain is being felt by furloughed state workers and local governments.
What to watch: By law, O'Malley must submit a spending proposal Jan. 21, a week after the 90-day session opens. Because it must be balanced, he has to find a way to fill a nearly $2 billion gap between expected growth in programs and anticipated revenue. A year after O'Malley pushed $1.3 billion in tax increases through the legislature, more tax increases are considered a near-impossibility, politically speaking, and anticipated new revenue from slot machine gambling is years away. That likely means steep spending cuts are on the way, and sacred cows such as education and health care might not be immune.
Death penalty: Maryland's de facto death penalty moratorium effectively ended in April 2008, after the Supreme Court ruled that Kentucky's lethal injection process, basically the same as the one here, was constitutional. But there have been no executions in Maryland since then, and critics want to eliminate capital punishment, saying the risk of executing an innocent person is too great and the death penalty is unevenly applied to different races and in different jurisdictions. The Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment, headed by former U.S. Attorney General Benjamin R. Civiletti, has issued a report that recommends eliminating the death penalty.
What to watch: O'Malley is a death penalty opponent, and he has said he will once again promote abolishing the death penalty. The key decision will take place in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, where elimination has failed by a single vote in the past. Worth watching is whether votes on the panel change because of the new report.
Higher education/tuition: In December, after two years of deliberation, a 27-member state commission headed by Del. John L. Bohanan Jr. of St. Mary's County unveiled sweeping recommendations that Maryland greatly increase funding for public colleges, with particular emphasis on addressing low graduation rates at the state's four historically black campuses. The $760 million price tag is considered a nonstarter, given the state's fiscal troubles, but political leaders in Annapolis have reacted favorably to some of the recommendations.
What to watch: Bohanan and other panel members will work to make sure their recommendations don't gather dust, but it appears inevitable that years of tuition freezes at public universities are near their end. O'Malley has said he would like to keep tuition frozen for one more year, but higher eduction is the largest discretionary (or nonformula-driven) part of the state budget, and at a time when tax increases are not politically popular, tuition is a way to raise money.
Medevac helicopters: Maryland's medevac system for ferrying accident victims is expected to come under renewed scrutiny by the General Assembly after a September crash in Prince George's County killed four people. In the aftermath of the crash, a panel of experts concluded that Maryland's emergency medical helicopters could fly fewer accident victims to hospitals without lowering survival rates or affecting quality of care for patients.
What to watch: Sen. John C. Astle, an Anne Arundel County Democrat and retired helicopter pilot who flew medevac missions, and Sen. E.J. Pipkin, an Eastern Shore Republican, have proposed the creation of a Cabinet-level position to oversee emergency services, as well as other changes, such as making sure flights contain two medical personnel, not one. Lawmakers are also expected to reconsider and possibly scale back a planned $120 million fleet replacement.
Police spying: Maryland State Police officers repeatedly spied on peace activists, anti-death penalty groups and others in recent years, and entered the names of some into a law enforcement database of people thought to be terrorists or drug traffickers, a startling discovery by the American Civil Liberties Union that prompted an investigation by O'Malley. A report commissioned by the governor found that police "over-reached" and disregarded civil rights during the spying.
What to watch: State police say they have implemented new policies with strict guidelines for when spying can take place, but lawmakers say legislation is needed to make sure transgressions are not repeated.
Slots: After years of debate, in November voters approved a plan to install 15,000 slot machines in five locations throughout Maryland. A slots selection committee has begun meeting. Bids from operators are due in February, and state officials hope to speed the construction process to begin collecting hundreds of millions in taxes yearly.
What to watch: Critics say that the state's tax rate of 67 cents on the dollar after winnings are paid out leaves too little money for the construction of quality entertainment venues. If few bidders -- or the wrong type of bidders -- submit proposals, the General Assembly could tweak the plan, possibly lowering tax rates as an inducement. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, a slots proponent, predicts no significant changes this year but says some could come in the future.
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