Del. Pat McDonough (R-Baltimore County), one of the lawmakers leading the opposition, said the petition effort is “ahead of schedule” and that he has been overwhelmed by the level of “passion and rage” from residents against the measure.
Opponents say they object to the state subsidizing the cost of education for illegal immigrants. In-state students, for instance, pay $8,400 in annual tuition at the University of Maryland compared to the $24,800 paid by out-of-state students.
McDonough acknowledged the challenge, however, of collecting tens of thousands of valid signatures in such a short period. Maryland’s law makes it difficult to qualify for the ballot. The last law petitioned to statewide referendum was a 1992 measure loosening restrictions on abortions.
“Will we hit the mark? I don’t know,” McDonough said. “The enthusiasm is there.”
The new laws governing utility reliability and wine shipments were among the most high-profile of the session. Following lengthy power outages last winter for Pepco customers, the governor and legislators successfully pushed for a new law O’Malley signed Tuesday that imposes a $25,000-a-day fine on electric utilities for violations of reliability standards. Regulators will be charged with crafting the standards, such as how quickly a company answers customer calls.
Del. Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery), who sponsored the bill in the House, called the standards a “critical first step” in improving the reliability of electric service.
Starting July 1, Maryland residents will be allowed to join those in the District, Virginia and 36 other jurisdictions in ordering bottles of wine by mail. The law permits residents to ship 18 cases per year, per household.
“It was just silly,” Sen. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Montgomery), one of the bill’s sponsors, said of the prohibition. “We’ve caught up with the rest of the country.”
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