Among the contentious issues that could arise in the 90-day session: a statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, a moratorium on the death penalty, legalization of slot machine gambling, a $1 increase in the tobacco tax and a paper trail for the state's electronic voting machines.
Lawmakers are also eager to tackle several emerging issues -- among them gang violence, identity theft, automobile emissions and affordable housing -- that could become part of the annual agenda for years to come. And a pending court ruling on same-sex marriage has the potential to throw the session into chaos.
All that will unfold against a backdrop of a projected $400 million budget shortfall in the spending plan O'Malley must present to lawmakers Jan. 19, two days after he takes office. The gap between projected revenue and spending grows to more than $1 billion a year by his second year in office.
I got a better idea for the $400 billion shortfall, tax the rich. They would be using most of their money anyway.
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