Anthony O'Donnell

The Teflon Two? O'Malley and Brown make it through another rough story with barely a scratch on them, giving their staff another dry-run in crisis management. Plus, John Leopold gets stuck holding a $100,000 bill in the days of belt-tightening budgets.

Find it here, in Maryland's Winners and Losers for May 23, 2008. | CLICK HERE

Dismisses Special Election Plan

Dr. Jim Pelura, Chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, stated his firm opposition to holding a special election for the soon-to-be vacant Fourth District House seat, instead calling on Rep. Al Wynn to “fulfill his commitment” and not “abandon his constituents for a lucrative job offer.”

“By leaving early, his constituents are either going to be left without representation or Marylanders are going to be left holding the $2 million price tag to fill the vacant seat,” Pelura said in a statement.

The Chairman also dismissed Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposal to defer some of the cost save through emergency legislation eliminating the special primary election and going straight to a special general election, saying it would “deny Marylanders a chance to pick their Party’s candidate.”

David Brinkley and Anthony O’Donnell, the Republican Minority Leaders in the Senate and House, both expressed support for calling a special election last week.

ANNAPOLIS- The House Republican Caucus called on Gov. Martin O’Malley to issue new death penalty regulations at an afternoon press conference in Annapolis, today, charging that his refusal to do so was in violation of the state Constitution.

Republican lawmakers reaffirmed their support for the death penalty, and demanded the legislature pass House Bill (HB) 1250, the Administrative Procedure Act-Exemption-Death Penalty Protocols, which would exempt the death penalty regulations for the Administrative Procedures Act (APA).

The House Republican Caucus presented their 2009 budget proposal for the Fiscal Year 2009 in Annapolis, yesterday.

According to a press release from the caucus, the plan “slows the rate of growth of state spending, resolves the structural deficit, eliminates (the) computer services tax, and positions the state to withstand a significant economic downturn.”

“The current budget course is not sustainable,” House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell (R-Lusby) said in the release.  “The governor’s budget as proposed leaves the structural deficit unresolved and the Rainy Day Fund depleted.  The economic outlook is precarious and further inaction could have catastrophic consequences for the state of Maryland.”