A Bad Day

Yesterday was the General Assembly's commemoration of April Fool's Day, just one day early. Yesterday was a bad day for common sense in the state of Maryland, thanks to the General Assembly:

• The legislature has voted to fire the Public Service Commission, making four of five members subject to legislative appointment. The bill, though, does not change the power of the PSC, and a new PSC would have absolutely no way to act any different in regards to the BGE rate hikes than the one appointed by the Governor did.
  
  
• Sentenced students in eleven Baltimore City schools to another year of underperforming schools by voting to delay the state takeover of those schools by one year.
  
  
• Passed a bill requiring cabinet secretaries to be reconfirmed if they stay for a second term.
  
  
• The House passed the Dick Hugh Campaign Finance Act to limit political activities by members of the University System of Maryland Board of Regents.
  
  
• The House also passed a bill establishing precincts and polling places on college campuses,
  

Unfortunately, it looks like some of these bills have veto-proof majorities voting for them. I am not sure what has possessed the Democrats in the legislature to unleash an all out assault on gubernatorial power in this, the final year before the election, but it is a sad commentary on the leadership abilities of the legislative Democrats. The facts seem to spell out the fact that Democratic leadership in this state has a sense of entitlement, an entitlement to run the state how they see fit. To them, Governor Ehrlich and legislative Republicans are just a road block to the getting their way.

Of course, perhaps this blatant display of partisanship will give common sense votes the impetus to throw out uncompromising, ineffective legislators at the ballot box this September and November.