Slots, stem cells on agenda

ANNAPOLIS — The General Assembly’s 90-day frenzy of filing, debating, killing and approving bills begins Wednesday — a session that will see now-perennial efforts to legalize slot machines, as well as legislation to allow embryonic stem-cell research, ban homosexual “marriage” and cut air pollution.

Leading Democratic lawmakers say the issue of medical malpractice insurance reform has been “put to bed,” and they are moving on to other agenda items. But Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., a Republican, has promised a veto of the legislation, passed in an emergency session over the holidays. Mr. Ehrlich has vowed to reintroduce his malpractice reform bill this month if Democrats override his veto.

All this while closing a budget gap anticipated at $300 million.

“The top three issues this year are the budget, the budget and the budget,” said House Majority Leader Kumar P. Barve of Montgomery County. Mr. Barve and other Democratic leaders are apprehensive about Mr. Ehrlich’s 2006 budget.

Mr. Ehrlich has until Jan. 19 to introduce his spending plan. So far, he has released only tidbits, such as a $43 million increase in spending for colleges and universities. Still unknown is which programs the governor will cut. Over the summer, Mr. Ehrlich asked state agencies to submit spending plans with proposed cuts of 12 percent, leaving some lawmakers to fear the worst.

As for the malpractice debate, any further legislation from the governor could meet a swift end, said Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., Prince George’s County Democrat.

“I think medical malpractice is pretty much put to bed,” Mr. Miller said. “People seem very happy we’ve done our task,” he said of the bill, which will slash rate increases from 33 percent to 5 percent this year.

Mr. Ehrlich maintains that the bill is “lighter than air” on tort reform and does nothing to stem long-term increases in insurance premiums.

Mr. Miller predicts the Senate will pass a bill to legalize slot machines. Mr. Ehrlich’s slots bills have stalled in the House for the past two sessions, and his communications director, Paul Schurick, says the governor won’t spend time on the issue this year unless he is sure it has a chance of House approval.

“Nothing has changed since last year,” Mr. Schurick said. He added, though, that Mr. Ehrlich “welcomes the debate.”

Mr. Ehrlich’s administration again will introduce a bill broadening penalties for those found guilty of intimidating criminal witnesses.

A similar package of bills gained wide support in the 2004 session but died in a legislative committee.

Also among the hundreds of bills to be introduced will be one by Mr. Miller that would raise the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to a not-yet-decided amount. Another would establish early voting in Maryland.

Fearful the state will lose its edge in the competitive field of biotechnology, two Democratic lawmakers will sponsor legislation to foster human embryonic stem-cell research in Maryland. The bills by Sen. Paula Colodny Hollinger of Baltimore County and Delegate Samuel I. Rosenberg of Baltimore would create a legal framework for conducting stem-cell research and provide state funds to underwrite research.

“It’s our hope that it won’t be controversial,” Mr. Barve said.

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