WBAL.com

The 426th session of the Maryland General Assembly begins at noon on Wednesday.

More than 2,300 bills are expected to be considered in a 90-day session that ends on April 13. Hundreds of bills are expected to be pre-filed by opening day on Wednesday.

The session comes, as state employees move furniture and unpack boxes at the Maryland State House. The building closed in April, after last year’s session ended. The building opened to state employees late last month.

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The 141 delegates and 47 senators will spend much of the 90-day session addressing budget issues, as the state’s deficit continues to grow.

From Republicans and Democrats the message is same.
No tax hikes in order to close a nearly $2-billion budget deficit, projected for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

“I don’t see the General Assembly raising any revenues this year. I don’t see any appetite for it,” House Speaker Michael Busch told WBAL News.

“I don’t think there is any sentiment towards raising any additional taxes. Now’s the time for belt tightening. The public is doing that. Harry Homeowner is doing that and I think the State of Maryland has to do that as well,” added Senate President Mike Miller.

Aides to Governor O’Malley tell WBAL News that the governor is not asking for any tax hikes, including a gas tax hike.

Miller said that he thinks a gas tax hike is “over due,” but he says this is not the year lawmakers would approve it.

One top Republican lawmaker is skeptical of that promise from Democrats.

“A lot of thinks we thought was politically untenable, they (Democrats) get together in their group think and inject the Kool-Aid right into their veins…and they pass it,” House Minority Whip Chris Shank told WBAL’s “Kendel & Bob Show” this weekend.

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Senate President Mike Miller says one area where lawmakers may be forced to increase is teacher pension, whose levels are set by the counties, but funded by the state.

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Miller, Busch and Abbruzzese all say that further layoffs of state workers might be considered.

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Busch also says to expect an increase in in-state tuition at state universities, because of the budget deficit. Tuition rates have been frozen for the last two years.

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It’s been about a month since a special panel on capital punishment recommended the death penalty be repealed. House Speaker Mike Busch says the State Senate will have to take the issue up first.

“I think there will be the votes in the House to repeal the death penalty. There’s a question if they’re going to be there in the Senate,” Busch said.

In the last two years, the Senate Judicial Committee has not voted out a bill, because death penalty supporters had enough votes to reject the bill.

Frederick County Republican Senator Alex Mooney is considered the “swing vote” in the committee. He has voted against the repeal, but said he wanted to read the commission’s report before he considers changing his vote.

Senate President Mike Miller says if any committee members change their minds, it can come to the Senate floor, even though a filibuster is likely to stop the bill.

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Maryland also faces a deadline next year to approve legislation to require applicants for driver’s licenses prove they are U.S. citizens, in order to comply with the federal “Real ID” law.

The O’Malley Administration last year changed its mind and said it would support this.

Republican House Minority Whip Chris Shank, thinks the General Assembly will give the governor what he really wants, a “two-tiered” driver’s license, where Maryland would offer a separate driver’s license where people do not have to prove citizenship.

Shank says since Maryland does not currently require proof of citizenship, the state does give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.