By John O’Connor
ANNAPOLIS – When the Maryland General Assembly convenes in January, it likely will be with a new speaker of the House of Delegates and a new complement of Senate committee chairmen.
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. will begin the reassembly of the General Assembly today, with an announcement about his new leadership team. The current four Senate standing committee chairmen were either voted out or stepped down.
Meanwhile, Delegate Michael Busch, D-Anne Arundel, is emerging as the favorite to succeed House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr., who trails Republican LeRoy Ellsworth Myers Jr. by 139 votes.
The outcome of Taylor’s race is still in doubt. The Allegany County Board of Elections will count the 357 returned absentee ballots today; another 27 ballots were sent out, but not returned. Overseas and military ballots are not due until Nov. 15.
If Taylor’s seat is included, Republicans gained eight House districts in Tuesday’s general election.
Democrats hold a 98-43 advantage in the House and a 33-14 margin in the Senate.
Busch wanted to make it clear he would not challenge Taylor for the leadership slot, should he survive the GOP challenge.
“We’re all hoping he can somehow pull it out with the absentee ballots. It could break for him,” Busch said. “If not, we have to go forward . . . Will I receive support from the majority of the membership? Probably yes.”
While other names have been mentioned for speaker, Busch seems to be the favorite. “Mike Busch is very respected, he has support in all sorts of places,” said Delegate Kumar P. Barve, the Montgomery County House caucus leader. “Basically everybody I’ve talked to has said they will support him.”
House history and rivalries, said WTOP radio analyst Blair Lee, dictate any new speaker most likely will not come from the Washington suburbs or Baltimore – two localities often competing for House power and money.
“It’s almost like if you come from a major bloc, you’re ineligible . . . it’s a fascinating dynamic,” said Lee.
Delegate Howard P. Rawlings, D-Baltimore, the powerful chairman of the Appropriations Committee has often been mentioned for higher level leadership posts, but such a move would upset the balance of power in the Legislature, one analyst said.
“Pete Rawlings is so controversial, so pro-Baltimore, that the other blocs would never allow him to be speaker,” he said. “That’s what’s hurting Sheila Hixon,” D-Montgomery, chairwoman of the Ways and Means Committee and another possible contender.
“Mike Busch is sort of the odds-on favorite,” Lee said.
Miller has a more difficult task, Lee said, because he needs to choose replacements with an eye on maintaining his own position as Senate leader.
Miller won his race handily Tuesday, but still needs the vote of the Senate membership to retain his presidency.
“He’s going to have to be a Houdini here and engineer some major tradeoffs,” Lee said.
Republicans said with the GOP’s Bob Ehrlich Jr. winning the governor’s race, those trade-offs must include putting their party in the legislative agenda.
“I hope Mike Miller recognizes that the time for partisanship . . . is over,” said Sen. J. Lowell Stoltzfus, R-Somerset, the Senate minority leader.
“I hope we see a change in climate there,” he said.
The four standing committee chairmen command considerable power in the Senate. Foremost among them was Judicial Proceedings Chairman Walter Baker, D- Cecil, who lost badly Tuesday to Republican E.J. Pipkin after holding the leadership post since 1987. Senate Budget and Taxation Chairwoman Barbara Hoffman, D-Baltimore, also lost her race, but in the primary. And Finance Chairman Thomas Bromwell, D- Baltimore County, and Sen. Clarence Blount, chairman of Education Health and Environmental Affairs, stepped down. The Senate leadership drain goes deeper, however, with the general election loss of leading budget authority Sen. Robert R. Neall, D-Anne Arundel, and Finance Vice Chairman, Arthur Dorman, D-Prince George’s, who lost in the primary.
The combination of losses, retirements and other moves means that Sens. Leo E. Green, D-Prince George’s and Paula C. Hollinger, D-Baltimore County, are the only Senate committee leaders to return to office in January.
Green is vice-chairman of Judicial Proceedings and Hollinger is vice- chairwoman of Education, Health and Environmental Affairs.
Miller lamented the loss of his two “close friends” Baker and Neall Wednesday.
“They were both giants in the Senate, outspoken people with deep core beliefs,” said Miller, D-Calvert. “They were both great leaders and will be deeply missed.”
Miller said he considered honesty, work ethic and experience in choosing his new nominees. “The Senate is a very diverse body,” he said, “I will try to make sure the diversity of the Senate is represented in the leadership.”
A new governor and Senate leadership, said Sen. Robert H. Kittleman, R- Howard, could mean a sea change in State House culture.
“Depending on the new committee chairman it will be a completely new dynamic that the state hasn’t seen in 40 years,” he said. “It’s who is capable of doing the job and who has enough votes to keep Miller in the presidency.”
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