scott peterson

A senior member of the House of Delegates leadership said Wednesday that Gov. Martin O'Malley is likely to call a special session to deal with the issue of expanded gambling in the next couple of days.

With only three days remaining in the General Assembly's session, House leaders plan to scrap a Senate plan that would expand gambling in Maryland and write a substantially new bill — a move that could doom any effort to approve a sixth casino in the state this year.

Just three weeks ago, local elected officials were hailing the Prince George's County Delegation's vote to support a bill that would authorize the county to require retailers to charge a fee for disposable bags as a sign it would pass through the General Assembly. But on Saturday, March 24, the House Environmental Matters Committee voted 12-11 to kill the bill.

A controversial program that lets U.S. Immigration and Customs officials check the citizenship status of arrestees booked in jail will be expanded to include Baltimore despite objections from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and immigration advocates.