In an evening news conference, the governor said several of his key initiatives were targeted "because they had my name on them." He called that a sign that Democrats were worried that he would compile a strong record of achievement in Annapolis. Ehrlich passed 11 of the 22 bills he proposed, though many generated little controversy.
University of Maryland government professor James Gimpel said Ehrlich's failure to win approval of his most coveted initiatives should have been expected, given that the Democratic legislature is interacting with the first Republican governor in more than 30 years. "In terms of legislative productivity, we seem to be in gridlock," he said.
Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson (D) speaks with Sen. Ida G. Rubin (D-Montgomery) in the State House during the session's final day.
(James A. Parcell --The Washington Post)
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But among the more than 2,500 bills offered by lawmakers this year, there were significant changes to state law.
The legislature set in place a host of new restrictions on teen drivers that came in response to a rash of road deaths in the Washington region over the past six months. A measure barring novice teen drivers from carrying teenage passengers who are not family members reached the governor's desk, as did a bill prohibiting teens from using cell phones while driving during the 18-month provisional license period. Bills also passed to increase the amount of training required for young drivers.
Traffic safety experts say the passenger restriction bill is the most important of the bills passed because it will cut down on distractions faced by young drivers -- one of the most common causes of accidents among teenagers.
Other portions of the Democrats' agenda targeted their progressive base. With the domestic partners bill, they gave unmarried partners, including gay couples, the right to make health decisions for each other. And they expanded the state's definition of hate crime laws to include crimes motivated by the victim's sexual orientation.
Another bill, which won final passage in the Senate by a narrow margin, would exempt unmarried partners from paying a transfer tax when their names are added to deeds on property. Supporters argued that the move was fair because exceptions are already made for spouses, siblings and other family members.
But opponents, including Sen. Leo E. Green (D-Prince George's), argued that the bill was a "back door" attempt to broaden the rights of gay couples without fully considering the ramifications. During a contentious debate, Sen. E.J. Pipkin (R-Queen Anne's) pressed bill sponsors on whether Oscar and Felix, of television's "Odd Couple," would be covered by the bill.
Democrats and Republicans teamed up yesterday to push through the governor's legislation to provide stiffer penalties for witness intimidation and more leeway in admitting statements from absent witnesses.
During an evening news conference, the governor brushed off his third consecutive defeat on slots, saying: "It's not a disappointment. It's just the annual result."
But Ehrlich said he was "stunned and disappointed" by the legislature's decision to reject his plan to give a tax break to veterans. "This is a very bad result. It's a campaign promise I intend to keep."
The legislature signed off on a financing plan for the intercounty connector, the proposed 18-mile highway between Prince George's and Montgomery counties. The plan endorsed by the legislature would tie up a smaller percentage of the state's future highway funding than Ehrlich had proposed on the $2.4 billion project.
Both chambers also approved a budget that includes $250 million for new spending on school construction, nearly $100 million more than Ehrlich proposed. School construction was "one of the House's key goals this session, and I'm happy to report we have achieved that goal," House Speaker Pro Tem Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) told members. On Saturday, the legislature approved a nearly $26 billion operating budget but rejected the property tax cut the House had advocated.
Negotiators from the House and Senate worked late into the evening before resolving differences in a bill that would allow voting as early as eight days before Election Day. But the House would not support the Senate's bid to move the state's primary date from September to June -- a move some Democrats believed would help their prospects in the 2006 governor's race and in the contest for an open U.S. Senate seat.
"If you're running statewide, it's a great idea," said Del. Sheila E. Hixson (D-Montgomery). "But that's not the case for local officials."
Hixson's committee rejected a compromise plan to schedule the primary in August, because it would "not be helpful for voter turnout if everyone is at the beach."
Staff writer David Snyder contributed to this report.
