Senate President Thomas

When Gov. Parris N. Glendening blessed the appointment of Thomas V. Miller III to a $56,000-a-year seat on the Maryland Parole Commission last week, it amazed elected officials and political observers alike.It seemed nearly inconceivable to some that Glendening would award such a plum patronage job to the son of his one-time arch-enemy, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. -- a fellow Prince George's County Democrat who once said, "We need an honest governor, which rules out Parris."

A day after the Maryland Senate gave a hearty preliminary approval to expanding the use of speed cameras in the state, the controversial measure failed by a single vote Wednesday night - a turn of events that shocked proponents and opponents alike. Gov. Martin O'Malley backs speed cameras, and his aides say he will work to persuade some senators to change their minds as the House of Delegates nears approval of similar legislation. "The governor is disappointed, as speed cameras represent a significant tool for law enforcement to improve safety on Maryland's roads and in our neighborhoods" said Shaun Adamec, an O'Malley spokesman.

Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller sees himself this year as the man in the middle, saving Maryland from ruinous policy driven by raw politics.With House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr. and Gov. Parris N. Glendening preparing to oppose each other in a 1998 Democratic gubernatorial primary, the burly Miller stands between them as mediating statesman.The dueling candidates want a 10 percent income tax cut, and even as he proposes to reduce revenue, Glendening wants to spend more on college scholarships, aid to schools and health care.

Maryland has seen more than its share of State House scandals, big and small. The latest involves Sen. Ulysses Currie, chairman of the powerful Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, who is being investigated for taking - but not reporting - money from a grocery store chain. Whether this stems from absent-mindedness, as Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller has claimed, or Senator Currie had some quid pro quo arrangement with Shoppers Food and Pharmacy remains to be seen. No matter the outcome of this case, the public ought to be concerned about whether Maryland lawmakers can be bought and sold like so many hothouse tomatoes.

After a three-year struggle involving state officials and city merchants, the new Bladen Street parking garage is open to the public on weekday evenings and weekends, Annapolis officials announced. The 725-space garage, which was completed last month at the corner of Calvert Street, will offer free parking on weekends and from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays. Any vehicles left after 6 a.m. will be towed. Local business owners were pleased with the Friday announcement. "I think it's fantastic," said Chance Walgran, a member of the Annapolis Business Association.

Constellation Energy responded to demands for information about rate plans with a 30-plus-page document detailing its business practices and finances. Here was one legislative response. "We asked ... specific questions, and instead of specific answers, we got 40 pages of very difficult-to- understand corporate answers." Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller

WhoopsLast week in this space, it was incorrectly reported that the legislature's Democratic presiding officers named six legislators to the Task Force to Review the State's Election Law.In fact, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr. each named two members to the panel. The remaining two members were appointed by the Republican leadership, Sen. John A. Cade and Del. Robert H. Kittleman.

An article in Sunday's Sun misstated state Sen. Thomas L. Bromwell's campaign fund raising relative to that of Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller. Miller has raised $452,297, exceeding Bromwell's $437,896. A chart accompanying the article misstated the amount of state Sen. Walter M. Baker's fund raising. He has raised $93,121.The Sun regrets the error.Pub Date: 9/03/98

Panel given until March 16 to finish probe of CurranHouse Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr. and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller agreed yesterday to give the ethics committee until March 16 to complete an investigation of state Del. Gerald J. Curran.Committee members asked Tuesday for a two-week extension of the March 2 deadline set by the presiding officers.The panel is investigating reports that Curran, an insurance broker, has developed potentially lucrative arrangements with state offices and private enterprises with issues pending before the legislative committee he has chaired.

The House of Delegates approved new fees on development yesterday to pay for the Chesapeake Bay cleanup, a proposal advocates say would also help reduce urban sprawl. The measure would charge developers based on the creation of "impervious surfaces" such as rooftops, driveways and parking lots that cannot be penetrated by stormwater, thus contributing to runoff into the bay. Development outside designated growth areas would be assessed at a higher rate, and builders could mitigate the fees by using environmentally friendly construction techniques.

While waiting in a church pew to officiate at an Eagle Scout ceremony last month, then-Sen. J. Robert Hooper and his lifelong friend, Harford County Councilman James V. McMahan, broke into a soft song, the councilman recalled yesterday. Mr. Hooper, in frail health, had announced his resignation from the state Senate as of Dec. 31 but earlier in the month was still representing Harford County's District 35 at official functions. Eagle Scout ceremonies were among his favorite events. "I asked him his favorite hymn, and he said `Old Rugged Cross,'" Mr. McMahan said.

Democratic leaders in the General Assembly remain confident they will pass Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed tax increases, but at least one member of their party says he will stand up with Republicans to stop them. Sen. James Brochin, a conservative Democrat from Towson, said he will participate in any filibuster that Republicans attempt to derail the tax plan. "I'm a Democrat because we stand up for working families and small businesses, and this isn't helping either," he said. "It's raising their taxes.

The House of Delegates approved new fees on development yesterday to pay for the Chesapeake Bay cleanup, a proposal advocates say would also help reduce urban sprawl. The measure would charge developers based on the creation of "impervious surfaces" such as rooftops, driveways and parking lots that cannot be penetrated by stormwater, thus contributing to runoff into the bay. Development outside designated growth areas would be assessed at a higher rate, and builders could mitigate the fees by using environmentally friendly construction techniques.

After a three-year struggle involving state officials and city merchants, the new Bladen Street parking garage is open to the public on weekday evenings and weekends, Annapolis officials announced. The 725-space garage, which was completed last month at the corner of Calvert Street, will offer free parking on weekends and from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays. Any vehicles left after 6 a.m. will be towed. Local business owners were pleased with the Friday announcement. "I think it's fantastic," said Chance Walgran, a member of the Annapolis Business Association.

Del. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. is running for the Maryland Senate, and his opponents have nothing bad to say about him. That's because, nearly a week after the filing deadline for candidates to sign up for this year's elections, he has no opponents. In a rarity in Maryland politics, the Montgomery County Democrat is on the verge of winning a Senate seat by default as a non-incumbent. No Democrat filed to oppose him in the Sept. 12 primary in District 18. No Republican bothered to try to win the Nov. 7 general election.

Constellation Energy responded to demands for information about rate plans with a 30-plus-page document detailing its business practices and finances. Here was one legislative response. "We asked ... specific questions, and instead of specific answers, we got 40 pages of very difficult-to- understand corporate answers." Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller

Ecker's pensionThe state Senate relented yesterday and agreed to allo Republican Howard County Executive Charles I. Ecker his $40,000-a-year pension on top of his $80,000-a-year salary.Maryland law prohibits retirees who receive state pensions from such "double-dipping," but the legislature passes bills every two years exempting newly elected officials. The exemption is intended to encourage retirees to run for generally low-paying municipal and county posts, but this year's bill also would apply to Mr. Ecker, who earned his pension after 36 years in the public school system.

ABORTIONLatest Senate bill's restrictions faultedAnother abortion bill, this one sponsored by Senate leaders and supported by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., D-Prince George's, was introduced yesterday -- and was immediately denounced by abortion-rights groups.Introduced by Senate Majority Leader Clarence W. Blount,D-Baltimore; Deputy Majority Leader John A. Pica Jr., D-Baltimore, and Sen. Walter M. Baker, D-Cecil, the chairman of the Judicial Proceedings panel, the bill would allow abortion until the time the fetus might be capable of surviving outside the womb.

Sensing that their chance to push for legal changes had arrived, Senate Republicans launched a full debate on the merits of medical malpractice reform yesterday by offering a series of amendments to a more technical bill. "We gave senators an opportunity to vote up and down on individual measures of tort reform," said Sen. Andrew P. Harris, the minority whip from Baltimore County. Each provision offered by Republicans - from allowing insurance companies to spread out payments to victims to tighter caps on pain and suffering awards - was defeated by votes that largely followed party lines.

Bill to restrict teenage drivers wins approval in Senate A bill that would restrict teenagers with provisional licenses from driving with passengers younger than 18 for six months won approval by the state Senate yesterday. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Roy P. Dyson, a Southern Maryland Democrat, was approved on a 36-8 vote. The restriction would not apply to relatives, and police could enforce the provision only as a secondary violation, punishable by up to a $500 fine and one point on a license.