California Cars

The state Senate approved the "clean cars" bill last night, making it nearly certain that Maryland will become the 11th state to follow California's lead in cutting smog and global warming gases. Gov. Martin O'Malley pledged to sign the measure, which passed 38-9. The House of Delegates voted overwhelmingly last week to approve a similar bill, and the two chambers must resolve only minor differences. "Governor O'Malley looks forward to signing this historic legislation to improve air quality in our state and put Maryland at the forefront of the fight against global warming," said administration spokesman Rick Abbruzzese.

Here are highlights of the 1993 Maryland General Assembly, which ended at midnight:BaltimoreThe city scored its biggest victory on the final day of the session, gaining approval of a $150 million expansion of the Baltimore Convention Center.An attempt to force changes in the Baltimore school system was a major point of contention in budget negotiations. Senators and delegates wanted school officials to implement a consultant's recommendations for change. The House tried to hold back nearly $5 million in state aid to ensure those changes, but the Senate disagreed.

ANNAPOLIS -- While its negotiators wrangled unsuccessfully with budget and tax plans, the General Assembly yesterday enacted bills to control suburban sprawl throughout Maryland and to strengthen legal protections for battered women.Gov. William Donald Schaefer said last night he was pleased that those bills and others he sponsored survived. "I'm so happy I don't know what I'm doing," he joked.The legislature passed some important bills that may be overshadowed by the still-unsolved budget crisis, he said.

The author, who lives in Ventura County, Calif., requested anonymity in order to spare her family further humiliation.THE YEAR just ended was the year my children did not go to the circus, or the museum, or the movies, or McDonald's. The year their only "new" clothes came from charity. The year my toddler cried from hunger all day because he was tired of the only food I could offer: oatmeal. The year I asked my church on four occasions to give meals to my children. This was the year I lost 25 pounds without even trying.

WASHINGTON -- In the name of fighting smog, residents of Maryland and 11 other East Coast states could be required in four years to buy cars 70 percent cleaner than today's new autos, under a controversial plan approved yesterday by the Environmental Protection Agency.The EPA's decision comes 10 months after Maryland and other states clashed with auto manufacturers and asked the federal government to require sales of less polluting cars and light trucks, including some powered by natural gas and electric batteries, throughout the Northeast and Middle Atlantic regions.

WASHINGTON - The federal government raised the terror alert level for mass transit systems yesterday as national, state and local agencies scrambled to beef up security on trains, subways and buses amid concern that the bombings in London might be followed by a similar attack here. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff emphasized that American intelligence agencies had "no credible information" suggesting an imminent attack. But he said it was prudent to tighten security, as analysts sifted information that has come in over the past few weeks for any hint of danger.

It difficult to imagine Joe Gibbs as A. J. Foyt, but the Washington Redskins coach dreamed of becoming a race-car driver when he was a youngster.He turned to football instead, but now he's going to do the next best thing to driving a race car: He's going to own a NASCAR racing team.Gibbs, who is preparing to open training camp Sunday for his 11th season (only 11 coaches in the history of the league have coached the same team at least as long), had a busy off-season.Besides starting to set up a racing team, he wrote a book and attended a reception for England's Queen Elizabeth II. He said his wife insisted they accept the invitation for the queen.

Bush's budget hurts the poor and the planet Hooray for The Sun. We all need to see how the disaster of a budget put forth by President Bush will hurt those who need help the most ("Cuts called threats to bay, urban poor," Feb. 8). Community development programs for low-income people, food stamps, veterans' programs, health and human services programs, including some that deal with epidemics and chronic diseases, all face cuts in funding. Mr. Bush wants to lower the deficit, and that's a good thing.