Del. Mary Dulany-James (D-Harford) said a proposal that she plans to submit addresses concerns about the potential for similar land transactions without a direct attack on the governor's powers. Her bill would require the state to give public notice and hold hearings before taking the first step toward selling off land -- which involves declaring state property "excess."
That approach would use the legislature's power to head off any secretive land transaction, she said, while avoiding a partisan battle.
The proposed sale of 836 acres of St. Mary's woodland -- bought in 2003 for preservation -- to a construction company owner sparked the anger of state lawmakers and environmentalists.
(Mark Gail -- The Washington Post)
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"I just think people are getting tired of partisan politics," James said. "What they want is a solution."
House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) also has offered legislation that stops short of amending the Constitution. His bill would require the state Department of Planning to provide lawmakers with a list of properties that have been declared excess.
Busch said his support for that approach, which was made part of the House leadership's legislative package, does not preclude a welcome reception for the constitutional amendment, which has been introduced in the House by Del. Peter Franchot (D-Montgomery). "We're going to vet all these proposals," Busch said.
Ehrlich administration officials said they see no need to change the process. They noted that the legislature and the Board of Public Works had an opportunity to intervene before any action was taken on the St. Mary's land, and the deal with Hackerman fell apart after that scrutiny occurred.
"The process worked well," Schurick said. "Suddenly there's this rush to judgment that the process should be changed. Well, it ain't broken."
But Sen. Roy P. Dyson (D-St. Mary's) said he believes that the governor's efforts to sell off land were wide-reaching, and remain so. And given the governor's "unapologetic" attitude about the transaction, he said the effort to write the rules into the Constitution may be the legislature's best option.
"Our assumption is, if we don't take this route, the governor will veto it," Dyson said.
A ballot measure wouldn't necessarily be bad news for Ehrlich, Dyson added. Voters are sophisticated enough to judge the governor on more than just one aborted land transaction, he said. "For all we know, they could decide they like Ehrlich, just not this policy."
