Here We Go

Are we going to go into overtime this year in order to ramrod a tax increase through the General Assembly?

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley is considering bowing to pressure and calling a special session of the General Assembly to address the state's budget deficit, and administration officials say nothing is off the table -- including legalizing slots or raising taxes.

The possibility of a special session marks a change for the freshman governor, a Democrat who had said he would not consider legalizing slots or raising taxes in his first year in office.

A source with knowledge of discussions between Mr. O'Malley and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. said a special session will focus on legalizing slots and is likely to occur in June.

Mr. Miller, Prince George's Democrat, hinted last week that a special session may be necessary next year to increase taxes and legalize slots. Asked about the possibility of a special session this year, Mr. Miller said yesterday that he expects a request for legislators to reconvene after the close of the current session in April.

"I think it might come from the governor," Mr. Miller said.

Good grief. It costs $45,000 a day for every day that the General Assembly is in a Special Session. That's money used for all facets of the Assembly, including additional salaries and per diem for legislators and staff.

If the Administration and the legislative leadership want to pass a slots bill or a tax increase, why is the work on this not being done now? We're only halfway through the legislative session. There is plenty of time to try and pass either of those bills. There is absolutely no need to call a special session when this is an easily avoidable situation if the General Assembly were to perform their due diligence and cut from the Administration's proposed spending plan.