I've got 12 small grandchildren. If someone kidnapped [and harmed] a child, personally, I don't want the state sustaining that person.
What midterm grade would you give Gov. Martin O'Malley? And what advice would you offer him as he begins his third full legislative session?
I'd give him a B. He's not afraid of hiring competent people, he has an excellent staff and he's an extremely hard worker. I think my only reluctance to give him an A is that I would ask him to move more quickly than we have in the past in terms of dealing with the fiscal crisis.
He's got a good personality and a good work ethic and in almost every instance I believe his views are in sync with the majority of the Maryland public.
Will the Republican minority play a significant role this year?
They have an opportunity to play a significant role. For example, [recently] I was at a farm banquet with [House Minority Leader] Tony O'Donnell. He and I gave almost the exact same messages to farmers there assembled. If that continues, we have a great opportunity to work together.
But if the Republicans try to make Martin O'Malley look bad or take political shots just for partisanship purposes, then obviously their role is not going to be so important. For the most part, they are very honest, hardworking and good contributors.
Finally, do you see the slots issue returning this session? To spur interest from developers in a tough economy, might the General Assembly revisit the high tax rate imposed on would-be gambling operators?
Not this year. We'll see what the [slots] commission recommends.
We're expecting investors to come in and put in a pleasure palace, put in a lot of money and market their product, and yet their profit margin is the slimmest of anywhere in the United States. In my opinion the amount of money an investor is going to receive [under current law] is going to hamper their ability to bring a quality product. At some point in time ... those numbers [tax rates] are going to have to come down.
