Many Bills, and Scant Time to Study Them

By Philip Rucker and Ovetta Wiggins
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Lawmakers converging on Annapolis this week for a special session face a daunting task.

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) is asking them to approve a referendum on slot machine gambling, increase the sales tax and revamp income taxes, all in a matter of weeks, if not days.

And the legislation to accomplish all that was not made public until Friday, leaving lawmakers little time to absorb the details.

"My real concern is not only will we hastily pass or defeat bills, but the consequences of what we do are going to reverberate for years to come," said Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons (D-Montgomery).

For weeks, O'Malley and his aides have met privately with lawmakers about his proposals to close a projected $1.7 billion budget shortfall, but Republicans said they learned of his initiatives only through news releases and the media.

"He hasn't told us anything about it," House Minority Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell (R-Calvert) said Friday afternoon. "People have started to call him Governor O'Press Release."

O'Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese said the release of the governor's bill proposals Friday night, plus the week of committee hearings ahead, should give legislators enough time to study the issues before casting votes.

Some lawmakers said their offices have been deluged with calls and letters from constituents voicing opinions on O'Malley's proposals.

Del. Joanne C. Benson (D-Prince George's) said opposition to slots among congregants at her church, First Baptist Church of Glenarden, is so strong that "I think I'd have to find another church home if I voted for slots."

Sen. Robert A. Zirkin (D-Baltimore County), who was a delegate before being elected to the Senate last year, said: "It is absolutely the biggest issue that I've ever had to face. Absolutely. There's not even a close second."

Each chamber went into session shortly after 8 p.m. yesterday, followed by a joint session in which the governor addressed the full legislature. Afterward, lawmakers who are not on committees dealing with fiscal issues were to be sent home temporarily.

Members of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and the House Ways and Means and Appropriations committees will hold joint hearings today through Friday on all aspects of the governor's proposal, including an increase in the tobacco tax.

The Senate Finance Committee and the House Health and Governmental Operations Committee will hold a hearing Friday. On Saturday, the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee will hold a work session, and the House Ways and Means and Appropriations committees will announce bill hearings.

Legislative leaders have predicted that the session will last at least two weeks and are hopeful both houses can reach a resolution by Thanksgiving, four weeks away.

For freshman lawmakers, the special session is an opportunity to take action on the state's fiscal structure that will have a lasting impact. Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Prince George's), who was first elected last fall, said she hopes her skills as a stay-at-home mother will come in handy in the coming weeks.

"I'm no expert, by any means," Ivey said. "But that's what democracy is all about. You get people like me -- moms. And then you have others who work as accountants. We're all trying to crack this nut."

Many lawmakers said most of their colleagues generally understand the governor's proposals. But there has been confusion in recent weeks on his slot machine plan.

O'Malley's bill, released Friday, calls for a referendum on the November 2008 ballot legalizing up to 15,000 machines at five locations. Lawmakers were unclear about the details on how much revenue the state, racetracks and local jurisdictions would receive.

"The slots stuff is not so straightforward," Sen. Paul G. Pinsky (D-Prince George's) said. "Many people say their support depends on how many and where."

In addition to the slots proposal, some lawmakers said they were concerned about an overall atmosphere of uncertainty heading into the special session.

"We're going into special session without a package that has been crystallized," said Sen. Jamin B. Raskin (D-Montgomery), a freshman. "I think the governor has suggested a credible package . . . but some things need massaging."

Del. Charles E. Barkley (D-Montgomery) said he expects lawmakers to introduce as many as 30 bills, in addition to those filed by the administration. House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) has said there could be 50.

"I just don't think there's complete agreement on the whole package," Barkley said. "That means there's going to be tinkering on the different parts of it. And I think individual lawmakers will have their own ideas, so that will take time."

But most lawmakers said they hope to find common ground.

"For me, the very worst outcome is to do nothing," Del. Murray D. Levy (D-Charles) said. "We're not helping anybody if we walk away from there with a $1.7 billion deficit still hanging over our heads. We'll have failed everybody."