All Clear

Well, the General Assembly has cleared out of Annapolis with the adjournment Sine Die of the legislature this morning. As usual, it has been a bad year for common sense in Annapolis. The minimum wage bill and the Wal-Mart bill all passed., but thankfully did not garner veto-proof support in either house. We still do not have a slots bill. The Governor's veto of an international trade bill and the selection process for members of the State Board of Elections were overridden.

A few good things did happen. HB625, the County School Board Selection Bill, died without a vote on the Senate floor, saving us from the Michael Busch/John Leopold selection plan. The Clean Car Bill and the SUV Surchage died in committee in the Senate. Stiffer penalties for assualt of a law enforcement officer finally passed both houses late last week.

Then there are the things that make you scratch your head. The Military Retirement Tax Exempton was inexplicably not given a chance in the Senate.. The List bill that would protect individuals from having their names used by political candidates without permission was defeated by the Ways and Means Committee.

What is the moral of this story? We need to elect more responsible leadership to the General Assembly next November. Leadership that is actually responsible to their constituents as opposed to the party line.