Illegal immigrants would be stripped of Maryland driver's licenses by 2015 under a last-minute legislative compromise that seeks to end the state's status as a haven for foreigners seeking government-backed credentials.
Adopted in the final moments of the 426th General Assembly session, the new policy was designed to bring the state into compliance with a federal security law known as the Real ID Act.
The plan narrowly passed the House of Delegates, where many members had sought greater protection for immigrants, after intense pleas by House Speaker Michael E. Busch and under the threat of a special session or the possibility that Maryland licenses would soon be rejected at airports. Then, with 30 minutes left to go, the Senate overwhelmingly approved the legislation.
Moments before the House vote, Del. Kathleen M. Dumais, a Montgomery County Democrat, cried as she implored her colleagues to pass the hard-fought compromise, which she said looked as if it would fail. Busch huddled with delegates, telling them to accept the reality that this was the best that immigrants' rights proponents could hope for. The legislation passed by five votes.
The licensing debate provided closing drama to a session dominated by the state's dire financial straits, but one which also included hand-wringing over the possible loss of the Preakness Stakes and heated debates over the death penalty and immigration.
As legislators rushed to complete their work, Gov. Martin O'Malley said the budget they adopted on their final working day preserved the educational and environmental programs important to Maryland.
"I cannot predict when the recession ends," the Democratic governor said. "All I do know is this: That if you do away with the things that made you a strong state in bad times, you're not going to be strong after the rebound."
Busch, an Anne Arundel County Democrat, said the legislature did its best, "given the greatest recession since the Great Depression."
"Everyone came in here and tried to row their oars in the same direction and face the daunting task to moving the ship of state forward," Busch said, ticking off what he called the session's successes: "a balanced budget, AAA bond rating, holding the line on [college] tuition, land preservation, protecting the Chesapeake Bay."
While the majority-Democrat legislature reached consensus on many issues, the thorny license debate percolated throughout the session and became the trickiest issue of the final day.
