Lawmakers Face Some Tough Calls in Annapolis

A Budget Deficit, Slots and Taxes Are on the Table At Special Session

As Southern Maryland's lawmakers return to Annapolis tomorrow to begin a special legislative session, they say they are divided on Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposal to legalize slot machine gambling.

Local lawmakers are also acutely aware of the consequences of not finding additional revenue during the session to close the state's projected $1.7 billion budget deficit. O'Malley (D) presented a "Cost of Delay" budget scenario last week outlining hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts for local jurisdictions if the General Assembly does not find a solution to the deficit.

Charles County would lose $18.9 million in state funding, Calvert County would lose $16.1 million and St. Mary's County would lose $10.8 million, according to O'Malley's presentation.

To be sure, such cuts would be made only if state lawmakers do not take action on the governor's proposals, which include increasing the state sales tax, legalizing slot machine gambling and overhauling the state's tax structure to shift the burden toward Maryland's most affluent residents.

On the issue of slots, it comes as no surprise it is controversial among Southern Maryland's leaders, considering such gambling once was an integral component of the area's culture.

Sen. Thomas M. Middleton (D-Charles), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and one of Southern Maryland's most powerful lawmakers, said he opposes slots and would not vote for a bill that would allow the machines.

"I personally think that they're wrong," said Middleton, whose family is rooted in Waldorf, where slot machine gambling thrived in the mid-20th century. "I've experienced the ill effects of slot machines and the impact that they have on working families."

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) has been one of the most outspoken supporters of slots. "We're going to have to have some revenues to solve this fiscal crisis," Miller said.

Del. Peter F. Murphy (D-Charles) said he is leaning toward opposing a slots bill but is undecided. "I would not look at slot machines as the cure-all to this," Murphy said.

Many lawmakers, including Middleton and Murphy, said they are open to considering a referendum on slots as a compromise solution.

"If there's an impasse over slot machines, a referendum may be the answer," Middleton said. "I think it makes it easier for folks to say, 'All right, I'm opposed to slot machines, but I'm willing to let the voters decide.' "

Del. John F. Wood Jr., a conservative Democrat from St. Mary's, said he supports slot machines. But he said he would not support having a referendum on the issue.