Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) raised eyebrows in his state of the state speech Jan. 29 by listing two reasons why he expected Maryland’s budget outlook to be brighter at the end of the legislative session than at the beginning: “Barack … Obama.” Expecting an influx of federal funds, O’Malley asked the Democratic-controlled General Assembly to continue a tuition freeze at state universities and expand benefits for the unemployed, even as Maryland faces a budget shortfall estimated at $2 billion.
O’Malley also forcefully advocated for a “fair up-or-down vote in both houses of this legislature” on a repeal of the death penalty, a cause he has pushed since his earliest days as governor. Repeal bills have failed at the committee stage in past years.
Another priority, the governor said, was making Maryland the first state to pledge to end child hunger by 2015.
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