General Assembly

Befitting the heavy number of freshmen in their chambers and voters' anger toward Annapolis, the Maryland House and Senate will have a decidedly new look in leadership ranks next month. While the top players are the same, pragmatic centrists have been promoted to key positions.This bodes well for the legislature, which is experiencing a 43 percent turnover. Changes in leadership ranks reflect the need for more attention to diversity and competence. They also reflect a need to include energetic, younger legislators in top jobs.

When state lawmakers convene tomorrow in special session, they should promptly enact two troublesome measures: a deficit-reduction plan that halts an open-ended subsidy to local governments to cover Social Security costs of school and library workers, and a bill delaying the impact of a court ruling that could slam the door on consumer lending in the crucial holiday shopping season.With the state facing another huge budget gap, local aid has to be reduced. Legislative leaders and the governor have reached an unusual consensus on eliminating the Social Security subsidy.

Will this be the year that the Maryland General Assembly faces up to the need to raise taxes to continue worthwhile social services or the year in which much of state government is dismantled for lack of funds?These are the stark options facing the 188 state lawmakers as they gather tomorrow for their annual 90-day session. They may, in fact, wind up with the worst of both worlds -- diminished government services and substantially higher taxes. That could be the only feasible way to close a budget gap in excess of $1 billion.

They're back! All 188 of them. Yet few members of the General Assembly are glad to be starting this year's regular 90-day session today. They're worn out after three long years of budget fights, tax increases, abortion battles, redistricting wars and $2 billion worth of anguished spending cuts.There are five items we believe should be of paramount importance for lawmakers over the next three months in the State House. Here is our wish list for the 1993 session:* Expand the Baltimore Convention Center.

With the halfway point of this year's General Assembly session behind us, there's not much encouraging news. Lawmakers seem stuck on issues of sports: Is the cost too high for Maryland to open its arms and welcome Jack Kent Cooke's Redskins to Laurel? Can electioneering legislators kill plans for a Baltimore football stadium and divvy up the cash for pet projects?These are the questions that dominate State House discussion. Yet lawmakers are supposed to be dealing with such knotty social issues as handgun control, health-care reforms, scholarship reforms, procurement reforms, welfare reforms and a needle-exchange program for the city.

Here are highlights of the 2001 Maryland General Assembly session, which ended shortly before midnight. Bills approved by the legislature need the governor's signature to become law. Baltimore: Mayor Martin O'Malley went to Annapolis seeking lots for his city, and he came away with much of what he wanted. An extra $8 million for drug treatment will add 1,500 slots to the 7,000 now available. The governor's supplemental budget had $7 million for city revitalization projects, such as West Side redevelopment.

"If we were wrong and voters find we've done something counter-productive, we will have to answer for that. I don't mind sticking my neck out for kids." ---Sen. Nathaniel J. McFadden, on the vote overriding Governor Ehrlich's veto of a delay in the state's planned takeover of 11 failing Baltimore schools.

Board: Senate votes to require its confirmation of school board appointments. Page 3B Voting: Miller proposes allowing early voting, up to eight days before Election Day. Page 4B