For O'Malley, a Civil Session

Ehrlich made similar gestures early in his term. But his relationship with the heavily Democratic legislature gradually soured.

By the end of Ehrlich's term, there was little collaboration with lawmakers. Democrats muscled through bills over Ehrlich vetoes. But Democrats also frequently squabbled among themselves. In the words of one aide, O'Malley joined a "dysfunctional family" upon arriving in Annapolis.

O'Malley listed a number of accomplishments this session -- some of which are pending -- in a recent interview. Among the most important, he said, "is we're reestablishing a dialogue that allows us to find common ground."

O'Malley also said pundits can place too much emphasis on legislative wins and losses when assessing a governor's progress. Some of O'Malley's boldest moves have come outside the legislative arena, aides said.

Last month, he announced the closing of the state's 129-year-old, maximum-security House of Correction in Jessup, a goal that eluded prior administrations. Earlier, O'Malley moved quickly to oust the head of the panel that regulates utilities, making good on a campaign promise.

By most accounts, O'Malley has been personally engaged with lawmakers on bills being pushed by his office and on other prominent legislation.

Lawmakers said O'Malley's personal intervention with senior senators jump-started action on the "living wage" bill, which had been stuck in a committee for weeks. The bill would require state contractors to pay employees at least $11.30 an hour or $8.50 an hour -- well above the state's minimum wage -- depending on the region in which the work is performed. The bill zipped through the House last week and is expected to arrive on the Senate floor tomorrow.

O'Malley was also "quite instrumental" in persuading lawmakers to curtail exceptions in a bill that bans smoking in bars and restaurants statewide, said Del. Dereck E. Davis (D-Prince George's), chairman of the House panel that considered it. That bill won final approval Friday night in the Senate and is expected to clear the House tomorrow.

And the committee chairmen who shepherded "clean cars" legislation through the House and the Senate credited O'Malley for persuading some moderate Democrats to support the bill, which would toughen emissions standards on automobiles titled in Maryland.

"I've been here; this is my 29th year," said Sen. Jennie M. Forehand (D-Montgomery), one of those who met with O'Malley. "I've never seen a governor listen like he is."

Forehand, who supported O'Malley's Democratic primary rival last year, credited the governor with changing the tone in Annapolis. "It's give and take, and it's not anger, and where there's disagreement, there's civility," she said.

Republicans offered varied assessments of the tone set by O'Malley but seem united in the view that he should have done more to tackle the looming budget deficit. "We'll see how much consensus there is when we have to foist a billion and a half to 2 billion in taxes on the citizens of Maryland," House Minority Leader Anthony J. O'Donnnell (R-Calvert) said.

O'Malley's highest-profile loss of the session came on legislation to repeal the death penalty. The bill, voted down by a Senate panel, was not part of O'Malley's package of legislation, but the governor took the unusual step of testifying in favor of it. Some lawmakers said that issue is not a fair gauge of O'Malley's effectiveness, however.

Given how strongly people feel about the death penalty, "I think a heavy-handed approach would have been counterproductive and would have offended people," said Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Montgomery), chairman of the committee that shelved the bill.