Session Would Be Risky for O'Malley

Beyond that, aides said, O'Malley is eager to put the politically perilous task of fixing a largely inherited problem behind him. If the legislature acts in a special session, O'Malley would still have three regular sessions of the General Assembly left in which to push his priorities before standing for reelection in 2010. Moreover, his aides said, Democrats will not benefit from dragging a public debate over tax increases well into next year.

Debate over Maryland's $15 billion general fund budget would probably dominate the legislature's 90-day session next year, which is scheduled to end in mid-April, lawmakers said.

Still, O'Malley does not have far to look to find examples of politically disastrous special sessions.

His Republican predecessor, Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., called two special sessions during his four-year tenure: one to help doctors with escalating medical malpractice insurance costs and the other to blunt a spike in electricity rates.

Ehrlich and lawmakers had not reached full accord before either special session started, and Ehrlich lost control of the agenda in both. He vetoed the bills that lawmakers sent him, but those vetoes were overridden each time.

"Ehrlich had no clue what was going to happen, and what he wanted to happen didn't happen, and he looked foolish," said Del. Curt Anderson (D-Baltimore). "I don't think this governor wants to look foolish."

Anderson, who is chairman of the Baltimore House delegation, said he believes prospects for a successful special session this fall are "dim," in large part because of divisions over legalizing slot-machine gambling among Democrats.

Ehrlich's session on medical malpractice, which took place about halfway through his term, was widely viewed as a turning point in his soured relationship with leaders of the General Assembly.

O'Malley has the benefit of sharing a party label with Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel). But politics in Annapolis can be driven as much by personality as party affiliation, and Miller and Busch's deep-seated distrust of one another has complicated O'Malley's efforts to build consensus.

Underscoring the difficulty of the task ahead, some lawmakers and legislative aides have started talking about the possibility of passing part of O'Malley's plan in a special session while putting off more difficult decisions until next year. Enacting a one percentage point increase in the sales tax this fall, for example, could generate about $1 billion that could be used to balance next year's budget. O'Malley's aides have played down the governor's interest in a partial solution, however.

If O'Malley convenes a special session, its success will ultimately rest largely on the ability of Democrats, who dominate both chambers, to pull together as a party, Miller predicted.

"The Democrats in the General Assembly need to step up and deliver for him, which means voting for things you don't like," he said.

Miller, who has been a leading advocate of a special session, said O'Malley told him as recently as late last week that he intends to call one.

"He indicated he's going to go forward, and I wish him well," Miller said.