Here's What O'Malley Should Do If He's Really a Liberal.

Here's some suggestions for O'Malley:

Enact a state-wide smoking ban.

Four Maryland counties -- Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard and Talbot -- have local prohibitions against lighting up in bars and restaurants. A fifth jurisdiction, Baltimore, is seriously considering one.

As a result, advocates of a statewide ban are hopeful that this year will present their best shot at protecting service industry workers and their patrons against secondhand smoke.

In recent years, bills to make Maryland bars and restaurants smoke-free have died in cliffhanger committee votes, with members citing as the basis of their opposition the possibility of harm to Baltimore establishments. The city is home to numerous corner bars.

A wild card in the debate is O'Malley, Baltimore's outgoing mayor, who has said that he prefers a statewide ban to local bans but that he will not push the issue.

Legalize Slots, but allow communities to have the final say, limit them to Central Business Districts, and enact a gambling tax.

Proposals to legalize slot machines dominated the first three legislative sessions under Ehrlich. The issue could return with the arrival of O'Malley, who has called for placing a limited number of machines at racetracks to help the horse racing industry.

O'Malley has said he would like to postpone consideration of new revenue sources until his second session, which might mean the full-blown slots debate will wait. But pro-slots lawmakers could still make a push this session to see how far they get.

Repeal the racist, money-wasting Death Penality

A court ruling temporarily halting executions in Maryland has reignited the debate over the death penalty.

This year, some lawmakers will push to replace the death penalty with life without parole.

O'Malley, who says he opposes the death penalty, could also call on the General Assembly to study the issue, which might push a resolution into the 2008 session.

Trash Electronic Voting Machines

Both O'Malley and legislative leaders agree that they need to bolster voter confidence in the state's electronic voting machines, with glitches riddling the primary election last year and national organizations calling for paper receipts. The problem is that there is no low-cost solution.

The most probable course seems to be some debate on the issue this session, with further study during the summer. The goal is to get something in place by the 2008 presidential election.

Also, Make tuition at all maryland public universities free of charge for anyone accpeted, take over BGE, and end pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.