Christine Hansen

Senate Minority Leader David Brinkley (R-New Market) told PolitickerMD.com today that a special election in Maryland’s Fourth Congressional District was necessary to ensure that residents have “congressional representation until January 3.”

Yesterday, Rep. Al Wynn (D-Mitchellville) announced his intention to resign his seat in June to join a law firm. Wynn lost his reelection bid to Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington) in the Feb. 12 Democratic primary. His term was scheduled to expire January 3.

“The procedure is proscribed in state law,” Brinkley said, reaffirming his support for a special primary and general election.

According to the Maryland State Code, the governor has the right to declare a special election or leave the seat open.

Even as the state is slashing its budget in preparation for an economic downturn, Republican House delegates are pushing for a revocation of the computer services tax and Gov. Martin O’Malley isn’t objecting.

“I was hoping that abolishing the computer services tax would be a component [of the House’s budget bill]” Del. Susan L.M. Aumann (R-Baltimore County) said in reference to the 6 percent sales tax on computer maintenance and services, passed during last fall’s legislative special session.

Republican legislative leaders filed suit yesterday in Carroll County Circuit Court with the goal of invalidating all laws approved during the special session, particularly those related to tax increases, gambling, and spending reductions. The GOP contends that the Senate violated Article III, Section 25 of the state constitution by adjourning for a six-day period from November 9 to 15, without a vote of approval from the House of Delegates.

The clause in the constitution reads, “Neither House shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, at any one time, nor adjourn to any other place, than that in which the House shall be sitting, without the concurrent vote of two-thirds of the members present.”

The GOP argued that this invalidates all measures adapted during the special session.

“I think we have a very good chance to win this argument,” David R. Brinkley, Senate minority leader, said during an interview with PolitickerMD.com. “The legislature ignored the constitution.”

On the trail: Clinton was there for O'Malley in 2006.Governor Martin O'Malley was not much of a hold-out last spring when Senator Hillary Clinton asked him to endorse her presidential bid.

Which leaves us wondering why has he done so little campaigning for her?