Miller Puts Slots Back on Agenda, Proposes Increase in Gas Tax

By Annapolis Notebook
Thursday, March 1, 2007

Seeking to jump-start a debate about Maryland's bleak fiscal outlook, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. yesterday introduced bills that would legalize slot-machine gambling and effectively raise the gas tax by 12 cents a gallon.

Miller (D-Calvert) said he expects neither bill to pass during the General Assembly's current 90-day session. But he said both bills will get public hearings and spark talk about some tough issues that lawmakers must confront -- either in a special session later this year or in the regular session next year.

"What we're going to do right now is generate discussion," Miller told reporters after a morning meeting at the governor's mansion that included House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) and other legislative leaders.

Gov. Martin O'Malley and Busch reaffirmed their desire yesterday to delay tough decisions about looming billion-dollar deficits until next year.

O'Malley (D) told reporters that he considers it "a positive thing" for lawmakers to float ideas, but he said a full debate about revenue is "a little premature." O'Malley said he hopes that his administration will be able to reduce the size of projected budget shortfalls by finding savings in coming months.

Miller's slots bill would allow as many as 15,500 machines at four racing tracks and three other locations. He said the bill would generate about $800 million a year for the state, which could be used for school construction and other educational needs.

Debate over slots dominated the agenda in Annapolis for much of the tenure of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), though lawmakers never passed a bill. O'Malley backs placing "a limited number" of machines at tracks but has not pushed the issue this year. Busch is a slots opponent.

Miller's other bill would apply a 4 percent excise tax on gasoline at the wholesale level, which would increase taxes at the pump from 23.5 cents per gallon to 35.5 cents per gallon. Miller said the bill would raise almost $400 million a year for much-needed transportation projects.

"People in Maryland have one of the longest commute times in the United States," Miller said.

-- John Wagner

Life Without Parole Backed

A majority of Maryland voters support the death penalty, but an even greater number say life without parole is an acceptable alternative. Those are among the findings of a poll released yesterday by the Maryland Catholic Conference, one of the groups advocating for a repeal of Maryland's death penalty.

The poll, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, found that 56 percent of registered voters support the death penalty, 34 percent oppose it, and the remaining are undecided.

Yet 61 percent said they believe life without parole is "an acceptable substitute." Twenty-seven percent disagreed with that statement, and 12 percent were not sure.

The statewide poll of 625 registered voters, conducted Feb. 6-8, had a margin of error of four percentage points.

The poll also suggested that there could be limited fallout for lawmakers who vote to replace the death penalty with life without parole. Twenty-nine percent said they would be more likely to vote for a legislator who cast that vote, and 23 percent said they would be less likely. The rest said that it made no difference or that they did not know.

-- John Wagner

Contracts Raise Concerns

A member of the Maryland Minority Contractors Association told the Board of Public Works yesterday that the state panel needs to ensure that "there is fairness in the [procurement] process."

Arnold Jolivet said yesterday that he was specifically concerned about contracts that have been awarded by the board for the University of Maryland.

"When you have one contractor getting the lion's share of the contracts, that is not good," Jolivet said. He did not name the contractor.

He told the panel, which is made up of Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp (D) and Comptroller Peter Franchot (D), that the minority business enterprise program "is only effective if [minority businesses] are getting the dollars."

O'Malley said the state will continue to work on improving the program.

-- Ovetta Wiggins