DEMOCRAT AGAINST TAX HIKE: As Republican delegates railed against the proposed state income tax hike Wednesday afternoon, a lone freshman Democrat from one of the most liberal and affluent districts inside the Capital Beltway got up to explain why she too could not vote for the taxes, writes Len Lazarick for MarylandReporter.com. “I believe this discriminates against two-income families with children at home,” said Del. Ariana Kelly, a Bethesda mom with two young children at home.

PENSION SHIFT: John Rydell of WBFF-TV reports that the shift in teacher pensions will cost the local jurisdictions million of dollars more over the next four years.

FRUITFUL SESSION: The editorial board of the Salisbury Daily Times writes that the General Assembly’s special session was quick and fruitful, but that less hot air and more attention to business could have accomplished the same result within the constraints of the regular 90-day session.

PET PEEVES: Gazette columnist Blair Lee airs the pet peeves that make him “wanna holler” including the state’s “balanced approach” to budget fixes and the Washington Post’s “hit job” on Mitt Romney.

FISCAL PROBLEMS: Barry Rascovar in his Gazette column says that despite the tax increases, the state’s fiscal woes will continue.

PIT BULL BILL, BUT WHEN? House Speaker Michael Busch said the General Assembly should do something about a recent Court of Appeals ruling that calls pit bulls inherently dangerous. But, blogs Alexander Pyles for the Daily Record, he did not say whether that meant the matter could be addressed when the legislature is called back for a second special session later this summer.

MCDONOUGH ON CRIME: WBAL-TV reports that state Del. Pat McDonough, continuing his call for Gov. Martin O’Malley to use state police to control “roving mobs of black youths” in downtown Baltimore, said, “It’s my opinion that the mayor of Baltimore City is engaged in a cover-up and (she’s) trying to downplay this, No. 1; and, No. 2, she has no real clue as to how to deal with it.” City officials called the claims outrageous and disappointing.

Christian Schaffer of WMAR-TV interviews McDonough about his comments and gets reaction from Del. Curt Anderson, who calls McDonough “Rush Limbaugh Jr.”

MCDONOUGH THE BLOVIATOR: Opinionators at the Sun write that state Del. Pat McDonough, bloviating about “mobs of black youth,” has single-handedly given Baltimore officials justification for withholding information from the public since here’s an irresponsible politician itching to give people the false impression that the Inner Harbor is especially unsafe — no matter that the city crime rate is falling.

GEITHNER AT GBC: At a breakfast of the Greater Baltimore Committee, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner praised President Obama’s handling of the recession and outlined the president’s financial reform wish list, which includes cutting small business taxes and maintaining the federal student loan interest rate. Steve Kilar reports in The Sun.

INTERIM LABOR SECRETARY: Scott Jensen, Maryland’s deputy secretary of labor, stepped up as interim secretary, filling a job emptied when Alexander Sanchez left this week to become chief of staff to Baltimore’s mayor, reports Jamie Smith Hopkins for the Sun.

HARRIS CUTS NOAA FUNDS: David Moon of Maryland Juice writes that he found a press release on U.S. Rep. Andy Harris’ website in which Harris apparently “brags that he succeeded in cutting more than half a million dollars from the budget of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.” Moon writes that last December, the Montgomery County Council spent $12 million to keep NOAA in Silver Spring and that “Rep. Roscoe Bartlett voted for his Maryland GOP colleague’s bill, at the same time that he is struggling to appeal to Montgomery County voters.”

CALL TO PRAYER OK? Had it been a Carroll County government employee and not a county commissioner who sent out an email inviting employees to pray with them, they would face disciplinary actions, reports Christian Alexandersen for the Carroll County Times. Commissioners, however, are not bound by county employee policies, according to Roberta Windham, the county’s media liaison.

BA CO SAVINGS PLAN: Baltimore County Council members are poised to adopt a lean spending plan that would achieve savings largely through early retirements and reorganizations in a number of government departments, Alison Knezevich writes for the Sun.

BA CO SCHOOL SAVINGS: And Liz Bowie, also reporting for the Sun, writes that Baltimore County school officials told middle and high school principals last week that they must limit the number of leadership positions next year to save $814,000, a move teachers say means schools have again been targeted for cuts.

HORSE RACING: On Preakness weekend, Lindsey Robbins in the Gazette writes that there is continued turmoil in Maryland’s thoroughbred industry.

SENATE RULE CHANGE: Senate President Mike Miller is suggesting the Senate change its rules so it would pass the state budget earlier in the session,  Danielle Gaines reports in the Gazette.

GAMBLING: Efforts to increase gambling for local nonprofit fundraising could complicate a special session on gaming if it occurs later this year, Daniel Leaderman writes in the Gazette.

INTERNET SCAMS: Benjamin Ford in the Gazette describes what the attorney general’s office is doing about Internet scams, which continue to defraud victims.

NOTEBOOK: The Gazette’s Reporters Notebook has items on the House tally board; Ike Legett’s teaching; Annapolis time; McDonough’s press release; and O’Malley’s New Hampshire trip.

Under the $260 million package, income tax rates for most Marylanders who report annual income above $100,000 will increase a quarter percentage. For joint filers, the new, higher rates will kick in at combined taxable income of $150,000, Aaron Davis blogs in the Post.

County governments across the state will see an additional $31.4 million in revenue as a result of the income tax adjustments in fiscal 2013, according to a fiscal analysis. That revenue will help to offset a provision to shift 50% of the “normal cost” of teacher pensions, or $136.6 million, to counties beginning in fiscal 2013, report Danielle Gaines and Daniel Leaderman for the Gazette.

Bryan Sears of Patch.com reports that fees for death certificates will also be doubled as will the tax on smokeless tobacco.

On the budget vote, 10 Democrats joined the Republicans, and 18 Democrats opposed the tax hikes with all the Republicans, as Len Lazarick lists them in MarylandReporter.com.

House members debated the bills for three hours yesterday with Republicans and some Democrats railing against the revenue package as overburdening on taxpayers and local governments, David Hill reports in the Washington Times.

While there may have been a winner in this special session – the Republicans who hammered away at the tax plans, budget hikes and delays of the Democrats – that may not matter so much when it comes time to go to the polls, opines the editorial board of the Sun.

Dave Collins of WBAL-TV reports that the do-over session undoes the doomsday budget, but that opponents of the new budget package argued for letting the doomsday budget cuts stand.

John Rydell of WBFF-TV reports the story from Annapolis.

Lawmakers say the new tax increases will hit only a fraction of taxpayers in Maryland. But there’s a tax bombshell that may hit nearly everyone. WBFF-TV interviews residents, policy wonk Marta Mossburg and Howard County Exec Ken Ullman.

State legislators passed measures that will both give and take away from Frederick County by replacing almost $6.4 million in school funding cuts with millions in estimated teacher pension costs, reports Bethany Rodgers of the Frederick News-Post.

SPECIAL SESSION PART DEUX: Shortly after the conclusion of Maryland’s first special legislative session of the year, Gov. Martin O’Malley committed to holding a second — on a possible gambling expansion, blogs John Wagner of the Post.

Earl Kelly of the Capital Gazette writes that Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Mike Miller may decide to consider additional issues, including whether to override a Court of Appeals decision that declares pit bulls inherently dangerous.

POLITICAL HOT POTATO: In an analysis for the Sun, Annie Linskey writes that Gov. Martin O’Malley succeeded in pushing his tax plans through the General Assembly in the special session, but that success may not help him when he seeks higher office. Maryland’s top earners now have the highest 7^th highest income tax rate in the country.

MCDONOUGH RACE-BAITING? Baltimore County Del. Pat McDonough said yesterday that the governor should send in the Maryland State Police to control “roving mobs of black youths” at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, prompting a colleague to label the message “race-baiting,” Michael Dresser reports in the Sun. Here’s a Sun story by Peter Hermann about the mobs.

O’MALLEY HEADS TO NH: Gov. O’Malley is headed to Manchester, NH, next month, booked as the “special guest” at the New Hampshire Democratic Party Convention on June 2, a trip certain to stoke talk about 2016 presidential ambitions, blogs John Wagner in the Post.

ON HARRY HUGHES: Dave Wheelan of Chestertown Spy interviews former Gov. Harry Hughes in this profile of an Eastern Shore resident Wheelan says would be “at the top of most people’s list as one of our very best.” The video interview lasts six minutes.

TEACHER SALARY CHECK: While Frederick County teachers continue their salary negotiations with the school board, some county commissioners are pushing to compare increases in teachers’ salaries during the past decade to those of county employees, reports Margarita Raycheva for the Gazette.

PRAY FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT: The editorial board of the Salisbury Daily Times writes that it was right for a federal court judge to issue a temporary injunction against the Sussex County Council to halt the practice of reciting the lord’s prayer before each meeting, saying that public engagement is needed in government, not a display of religion that serves to make others uncomfortable.

John Wagner of the Post blogs about how senators votes on the tax bill.

After beating back a series of challenges in the House of Delegates, lawmakers are poised to give final approval today to a plan to raise the state income tax to fund schools, police and Medicaid, Michael Dresser and Annie Linskey report in the Sun.

House Speaker Michael Busch said last night that he expects a majority of delegates to approve the plan, writes Danielle Gaines in the Gazette.

And Len Lazarick of MarylandReporter.com writes that Busch pointed out that almost all the issues had been thrashed out in the regular session, which ended without action in the House on the two bills substantially similar to those they debated yesterday.

Yesterday, the Maryland Senate voted to raise state income taxes on individuals who make more than $100,000 a year in taxable income and couples who are paid more than $150,000 and to start shifting some teacher pension costs to local governments over four years, according to an AP report in the Frederick News-Post.

Earl Kelly and Pamela Wood of the Capital-Gazette report that the House is expected to convene today at 10 a.m. to give the package final approval, after which the Senate will convene at 12:30 p.m. and the special session will end.

John Rydell of WBFF-TV reports that the special session was called by Gov. Martin O’Malley to avert about $500 million in cuts that were triggered by the General Assembly’s failure to pass a complete budget package during its regular 90-day session last month.

SHORE ‘OUTRAGE:’ Eastern Shore lawmakers expressed their outrage over the tax increases on high earners among others, Daniel Menefee reports for the Chestertown Spy. Menefee’s also got video of both Del. Mike Smiegel and Sen. E.J. Pipkin expressing their outrage.

TRANSPORTATION HANGS: The Sun editorial board opines that as this special session wraps up, for the second time in six weeks, lawmakers will leave Annapolis without having done a thing to address Maryland’s transportation deficit.

BULLY ON PIT BULLS: Pit bull owners and other animal advocates won’t get a chance to overturn a recent Court of Appeals decision labeling the breed as dangerous during the special General Assembly session now under way, but they might get their chance if the legislature reconvenes this summer to consider gambling issues, Michael Dresser writes in the Sun.

Alexander Pyles of the Daily Record blogs that Senate President Mike Miller, while acknowledging his own interest in the pit bull legislation, said the special session was about finishing the budget, and that’s it.

Annapolis resident Stehle Harris is afraid she won’t have a home. The recent court decision also states that landlords can prohibit the dogs from their properties, Nayana Davis reports in Patch.com.

Mike Schuh of WJZ-TV reports on the rally that pit bull advocates held in Annapolis yesterday.

FIGHTING SEPTIC REGS: Since the special session opened on Monday, Sen. David Brinkley has been fighting a proposed regulation that would require builders to install septic systems that are more costly but less polluting, Bethany Rodgers reports in the Frederick News Post.

VOTER TURNOUT: Anticipated statewide referendums on the legalization of same-sex marriage, in-state tuition for illegal immigrants and the latest congressional redistricting plan are expected to draw a lot of voters to the polls this November, Lindsey McPherson reports for the Howard County Times. The turn-out for Howard County is expected to be 85%.

STATE PROBE SOUGHT: State lawmakers are demanding an investigation after WBFF-TV cameras caught what appeared to be a state worker collecting a $150 bribe promising to wipe away alleged child support problems, John Rydell reports.

CASINOS AID RACING: Money made from Maryland’s casinos is helping the Maryland horse racing industry. The difference may be apparent this Saturday at the Preakness, reports Kathleen Cairns for WBFF-TV.

UMBC RESIGNATIONS: Reporting in the Sun, Childs Walker writes that two University of Maryland, Baltimore County employees resigned or were fired after a state audit and an internal investigation uncovered about $9,000 in questionable expenditures on their corporate credit cards.

ETHICS LOOPHOLE IN BA CO: In 2011, Baltimore County Councilman Todd Huff attended at least four games, including a trip to Dallas to the Super Bowl with a local shopping center and apartment complex owner, Bryan Sears writes for Patch.com. The games highlight a hole that the State Ethics Commission says exists in legislation passed by the County Council earlier this year that was meant to bring county law substantially into sync with the state ethics law.

EXEC ORDER VOTED DOWN: The Harford County Council unanimously struck down the executive order County Executive David Craig recently issued to create a fire commission, and Council President Billy Boniface warned it set a dangerous precedent, Bryna Zumer reports in the Aegis.

The carefully choreographed strategy to raise state income taxes to stave off so-called doomsday budget cuts faces a challenge in the General Assembly after several Democrats defied party leaders with a proposal to raise the sales tax instead, Annie Linskey and Michael Dresser write for the Sun.

Proposals would stave off more than $436 million in cuts that under the current budget would take effect starting in July, reports Bethany Rodgers of the Frederick News-Post. Much of the reductions would hit education funding, and Frederick County Public Schools would see a $6.4 million cut, according to local estimates.

The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee passed a budget plan that would undo the so-called “doomsday” cuts, reports Danielle Gaines for the Gazette. Democratic leaders anticipate two budget bills will be voted on by both chambers by tomorrow.

Ben Giles of the Washington Examiner writes that 40% of the money raised from the tax increase would come from Montgomery County, where 23% of earners would pay more. Overall, nearly 14% of state residents would pay higher taxes, with 9.5% of Prince George’s County residents paying extra, according to a fiscal analysis.

In all, the package would cut more than $300 million from the budget proposed in January by Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley, but would increase spending by more than $900 million over last year’s approved spending plan, reports David Hill of the Washington Times.

Pamela Wood of the Capital-Gazette writes that Del. Tony O’Donnell, minority leader of the House of Delegates, said, “It’s time to be straight up with the citizens of Maryland. We’re coming here to raise their taxes – plain and simple.”

Former Sen. David Harrington and blogger David Moon of Maryland Juice appeared on News Channel 8′s News Talk show to discuss the special session and what caused it. Harrington blames the gambling issue. The discussion begins around the 1 minute mark on the video.

RECORDING TAX: A little noticed provision will also raise $36 million in new taxes from companies that back mortgages on commercial development and homebuilding, reports Len Lazarick of MarylandReporter.com. Opponents say it will add to the cost of construction and harm Maryland’s business rankings.

SESSION REACTION: Comptroller Peter Franchot threw cold water on the efforts of fellow Democratic leaders in Annapolis, calling plans to raise taxes in a special session “simply the wrong approach at the wrong time.”

Daniel Leaderman reports on Republican reaction to the special session.

Dave Collins of WBAL-TV reports that a handful of people protested tax hikes and the special session in general in the rain.

Daniel Menefee of the Chestertown Spy reports that Sen. E.J. Pipken says there is a lack of transparency for allowing public comment on the budget proposal.

Duane Keenan produced two three-minute podcasts for MarylandReporter.com. First, hear from Michelle Jefferson from We the People Carroll County. She came to Annapolis to protest the special session.

The second features Senate President Mike Miller, who says, “It would have been nice if we could have got it done in the 90-day session.” But House Republican Leader Tony O’Donnell said, “There is no way that we should be here.”

In an op-ed in the Washington Times, Larry Hogan, a former state Cabinet secretary and head of ChangeMaryland.org, compares the special session now under way to a blockbuster summer sequel: costly, with the same cast and predictable.

PIT BULL BILLS: Dog lovers shouldn’t look to the General Assembly to give them a bone, as legislation overturning court ruling that designated pit bulls as dangerous animals was locked in the House rules committee yesterday morning, writes the Sun’s Annie Linskey.

On the first day of what is expected to be a three-day special session, no fewer than five bills were introduced in response to a recent court ruling that makes it easier to sue owners of aggressive pit bulls, even if their dogs have no prior history of biting, John Wagner blogs in the Post.

And pit bull advocates will be in Annapolis today at 2:30 p.m. to rally for the breed, reports WMAR-TV.

SEPTIC REGULATIONS: During debate yesterday, senators criticized regulations proposed by the Maryland Department of the Environment that would require the use of best available technology for nitrogen removal septic systems in new construction near the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Coastal Bays watershed, the AP’s Brian Witte reports in the Salisbury Daily Times.

FINANCIAL ABUSE OF ELDERLY: Starting in October, Maryland banks and credit unions will be required to report suspected financial exploitation of Marylanders age 65 and up, writes Eileen Ambrose in the Sun. They must convey their suspicions within 24 hours by phone to one of two agencies then follow up in writing. Financial institutions that fail to do so will face a penalty of as much as $5,000.

WEGMANS LIQUOR STORE: The combination of ownership and location of a proposed liquor store at the Wegmans grocery store in Columbia skirts Maryland law, opponents say, and raises questions about whether the store should be allowed, writes David Greisman for the Howard County Times.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE EXPERIMENT: Adam Bednar, writing for Patch.com, offers up a Salon story on U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes, who is running an interesting experiment during this year’s election. He’s trying to see if primarily small donors can finance his campaign as part of his Grassroots Donors project, where he has raised $500,000 from traditional donations of more than $100, but can’t access it until he receives at least 1,000 donations between $5 and $100.

UNCERTAINTY FACTOR: Don Aines of the Hagerstown Herald-Mail writes that U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, in an interview with that paper’s editorial board, said that uncertainty is holding back the economy and Washington is largely in gridlock, situations that are unlikely to be resolved before the presidential election in November.

NEW DISTRICT JUDGE: John Fritze of the Sun reports that the U.S. Senate confirmed Baltimore Circuit Judge George Russell for a seat on the U.S. District Court for Maryland yesterday.

OVERCROWDING: Baltimore County parents and legislators will ask incoming schools Superintendent Dallas Dance to consider putting more teachers in high schools, where class sizes have swelled since positions were eliminated a year ago, Liz Bowie reports in the Sun.

The Sun editorial board says the results of former Baltimore County Schools Super Joe Hairston’s poor decision to cut teachers from high schools are now clear: A sharp drop in the number of classes available to students (including Advanced Placement courses), increasing class sizes and overtaxed facilities.

IGNORING ETHICS RULE: The Sun editorial board writes that it believes that Frederick County Commissioner Kirby Delauter was correct to chose to ignore a county ethics commission’s opinion directing his construction firm to stop doing business in the county.

By many mathematical measures — dollar amounts, percentage increases and relative size — the $247 million tax plan agreed to by Gov. Martin O’Malley and top legislative leaders is relatively small, writes Annie Linskey and Michael Dresser in the Sun. But politically, there is no such thing as a small tax increase. They interview a number of residents who will feel the pinch.

The details of the tax bills appear all but set in stone, having been finalized in recent weeks during closed-door negotiations among Democratic leaders who say the bills will likely pass with few or no changes, writes David Hill in the Washington Times.

Sherrie Johnson of WMAR-TV gives a quick rundown of what to expect from the session.

WTOP’s Andrew Mollenbeck also reports on the special session, which is expected to last three days.

Despite the large Democratic majority in both houses, Mid-Shore Republican legislators won’t be taking a passive approach to the proceedings; Sen. E.J. Pipkin wants spending kept at current levels and Sen. Richard Colburn will seek to allow bingo fundraisers in Dorchester, reports Chris Knauss of the Easton Star Democrat.

Christian Alexandersen of the Carroll County Times reports that unless proposed tax increases are taken out, Carroll County legislators said they won’t support passing a new state budget as they head back to Annapolis today.

The editorial board for the Salisbury Daily Times says that while it is crucial to Wicomico County for the special budget session, which begins tomorrow, to take place, the General Assembly should have gotten down to its work to avoid this costly need.

PIT BULL FIGHT: Are all dogs created equal? Del. Herb McMillan believes the General Assembly should answer with a resounding yes. McMillan plans to introduce his Dog Nondiscrimination Act during this week’s special session, even though legislative leaders have said nothing but the budget will be on the agenda, Erin Cox reports for the Capital-Gazette.

And two other state delegates on polar opposite sides of the political spectrum are co-sponsoring legislation that would overturn the court’s ruling: Republican Del. Michael Smigiel and Democratic Del. Heather Mizeur, blogs Alexander Pyles of the Daily Record.

CASINO WORK GROUP: In a bid to resolve some of the most difficult gambling issues left over from the last legislative session, Gov. Martin O’Malley said he would assemble an 11-member work group on casinos to undertake “a fact-driven process, aided by expert analysis,” blogs John Wagner for the Post.

CORK THIS: Courtney Pomeroy of the Frederick News-Post reports that, after nearly unanimous Senate and House votes, restaurants that have liquor licenses will soon be able to get an additional permit from their local liquor board allowing customers to bring their own wine to drink during a meal, a practice called “corkage.”

DEL. JACOBS ON GAY MARRIAGE: Daniel Menefee of the Talbot Spy sat down with Del. Jay Jacobs, R-Kent, for a legislative wrap-up of key issues that moved through the 2012 session of the Maryland General Assembly and to discuss his opposition to same-sex marriage.

HOYER STEPS UP: U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer’s decision to support same-sex marriage could bring a powerful ally to efforts in Maryland to retain the gay marriage law in the state. The Sun’s John Fritze reports that a source close to Hoyer said that the Democratic House leader will “oppose efforts to repeal the new Maryland law.”

DEDICATED BUSES: Alex Ruoff of the Gazette writes that Gov. O’Malley has announced that the proposed 15-mile Corridor Cities Transitway to connect the Shady Grove Metro station in Rockville with the Comsat property near Clarksburg will use dedicated bus lanes instead of light rail.

O’MALLEY BUMPED: Gov. O’Malley was bumped from Meet the Press yesterday when the NBC talk show scored an interview with Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, which announced a staggering $2 billion trading loss, according to the Washington Post.

OBAMA B’MORE FUNDERS: He may not be campaigning in deep-blue Maryland but President Barack Obama will be in Baltimore next month for a pair of fundraisers, according to a brief in the Sun.

O’Malley has invited his supporters to attend a June 12 fundraiser for President Obama in Baltimore, blogs the Post’s John Wagner.

LT. GOV. HONORED: Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, who heads the governor’s economic development team, has been named Distinguished Leader of the Year for Minority Business by the Maryland Washington Minority Contractors, Alexander Pyles writes in the Daily Record.

STOCK ACT & 6^th DISTRICT: Madeline Marshall of Capital News Service writes in the Hagerstown Herald-Mail that the battle for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District this fall will pit a millionaire corporate investor against a wealthy landowner — occupations that the new STOCK Act will allow voters to examine more deeply as they decide who will represent them.

HENSON VERDICT: Political consultant Julius Henson may have written the automated message that encouraged Democrats to stay home from the polls on Election Day 2010, but he didn’t force voters to believe it, jury foreman Renee Johnson said Friday. The jury convicted him on just one count of conspiracy but finding him not guilty on three other charges, Yvonne Wenger reports in the Sun.

The editorial board for the Sun opines that political consultant Julius Henson deserved to be held to account for his role in producing a fraudulent robocall on the night of the 2010 gubernatorial election that was clearly designed to prevent Democrats — and in particular, African-American voters — from going to the polls.

‘TEMPORARY’ MO CO LAWS: Rachel Baye of the Washington Examiner reports that Montgomery County lawmakers have a long history of passing laws that were extended long after their expiration dates. In the last 25 years, county lawmakers have passed at least 90 bills that were supposed to be temporary. But in most cases, they were kept on the books.

PRAYERS FOR CARROLL: The Sun’s Mary Gail Hare reports that a Carroll County commissioner has emailed an invitation to about 850 government employees to attend a monthly prayer session, which she will lead, raising concern among some residents and watchdog groups.

Groups on both sides of the issue — which will likely be decided by Maryland voters — have weighed in on the president’s pronouncement. Not surprisingly, blogs John Wagner in the Post, they have come to different conclusions.

Nicholas Stern of the Frederick News Post interviews Frederick County folks as they weigh in on Obama’s announcement for gay marriage.

The Gazette has more reaction to Obama’s same-sex marriage endorsement. “The wild card in everything is the African-American vote,” said Todd Eberly, political science professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. “That’s where opposition is strongest in the General Assembly and in key polls.”

U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, the second-ranking Democrat in the House, has announced his support for gay marriage, according to an AP report in the Daily Record.

TAX HIKES EXPECTED: When the General Assembly’s special session opens Monday, Gov. Martin O’Malley will introduce a budget that includes tax increases for earners in the higher income brackets. Those tax increases will raise about $196 million.

Len Lazarick of MarylandReporter.com writes that, while the governor has touted Maryland’s comparatively low tax burden on its high income populace, some groups are concerned that the income tax hikes proposed for next week’s special session will harm Maryland’s national rankings on taxes and business climate.

Don Fry, in Center Maryland, writes that, “we’ll have to wait for Governor O’Malley to file the specific legislation on Tuesday, but if the income tax proposal includes the conference committee’s most recent proposed tax rates, it would impose substantial tax increases on major segments of the state’s taxpayers.”

This budget also begins shifting some of the costs of teacher’s pensions to the counties, John Rydell of WBFF-TV reports.

The Gazette’s Danielle Gaines has more on the income tax hike.

LEVYLAND, THE FEE STATE: Gazette columnist Blair Lee calls it “Levyland, the Fee State” as he lists 17 taxes and fees raised in the last five years, as compiled by Larry Hogan’s Change Maryland. Fox 45 has a video report on Lee’s list.

DISTRICTING SUIT COST: Christian Alexandersen of the Carroll County Times reports that the Carroll County attorney will crunch numbers next week so the Carroll County Board of Commissioners know how much it can expect to spend by petitioning Maryland’s highest court to challenge the state legislative redistricting.

LET COMPETITION IN: The editorial board of the Sun opines that the ban on grocery store sales of alcohol has one purpose — preventing competition, to the benefit of liquor distributors and retailers and to the detriment of consumers.

STAFF-VEHICLE RATIO QUESTIONED: According to an audit conducted last year but just released to the Post, the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission has a large percentage of take-home vehicles for its staff – 1,300 for 2,000 employees – and failed to secure its gas stations, leaving open the possibility that unauthorized personnel could fill up for free, writes Miranda Spivack.

Raye Baye of the Washington Examiner offers more details about the audit.

O’MALLEYS HONORED: Gov. O’Malley and first lady Katie O’Malley will be honored by the National Wildife Federation for their pro-environment efforts, writes Pamela Wood in the Capital-Gazette.

CHICKEN & THE GOV: Wicomico County Exec Richard Pollitt, in an op-ed in the Salisbury Daily Times, writes that the so-called “cozy relationship” between O’Malley and an attorney for Perdue Farms Inc. isn’t problematic, as critics would say, since it is good to have a governor who understands how important the poultry industry is to the Eastern Shore.

HENSON JURY DELIBERATES: The jury in the robo-call trial of political consultant Julius Henson spent yesterday considering the case, and will resume deliberations today, according to an AP story in the Hagerstown Herald-Mail. Henson worked for Republican former Gov. Bob Ehrlich’s campaign during his rematch with Democratic Gov. O’Malley.

UNSCIENTIFIC RULINGS: In his Gazette column, Barry Rascovar said two recent rulings from Maryland’s Court of Appeals on DNA and pit bulls are not based on scientific evidence.

UNIVERSITY COOPERATION: Laslo Boyd in the Gazette writes that how to make the state’s universities more significant drivers of the economy being actively and creatively addressed at both ends of Interstate 95 by two University of Maryland presidents.

COUNTY BUDGETS: County budget officials are waiting on the legislature to act on the state budget as they put the final touches on local spending plans.

NOTEBOOK: The Gazette’s Reporters Notebook has items on an Annapolis film shoot; a reporter’s floor shot; the health secretary’s Halloween costume; Martin O’Malley’s “eviction notice”; and Mike Miller’s dynamite.

NO GAS TAX: Gov. Martin O’Malley regrets that transportation funding and a gas tax increase won’t be on the agenda for the special session, Danielle Gaines reports in the Gazette.

WMAR’s video of the special session announcement.

WBAL radio’s Rob Lang has audio and video on the news conference.

Senate President Mike Miller says votes for the tax hikes will be more difficult to get in the House, Alex Pyles writes in his Daily Record blog.

O’Malley touted some of Maryland’s low tax rates, using figures from the same sources opponents cite to berate the state for high taxes and bad business climate, Len Lazarick writes in MarylandReporter.com

OBAMA ENDORSES GAY MARRIAGE: President Barack Obama declared unequivocal support for gay marriage on Wednesday, becoming the first president to endorse the politically explosive idea and injecting a polarizing issue into the 2012 race for the White House, reports the Associated Press in the Capital.

Openly gay Montgomery County Senator Richard Madaleno told the AP Obama’s support could be a “game changer” in the Maryland referendum.

However, what impact Obama’s endorsement has in Maryland remains to be seen with some experts believing it could galvanize the opposition, writes Justin Snow for MarylandReporter.com.

DELIBERATIONS BEGIN IN ROBOCALL CASE: Political consultant Julius Henson’s attorney used a stack of fake oversized money, invoked slavery and called prosecutors’ election fraud case against his client a “bunch of bull-honky” during his closing argument Wednesday afternoon, reports Luke Broadwater in the Baltimore Sun.

COMMISSIONER IGNORES ETHICS ADVICE: Frederick County Commissioner Kirby Delauter is raising eyebrows after ignoring an advisory ruling that he not pursue construction jobs in which country inspectors would have to examine his work, reports Katherine Heerbrandt of The Gazette.

GAMBLING COMMISSION COMING: Gov. Martin O’Malley indicated he will move this week to setup a commission to explore gambling issues before an expected second special session this summer, reports Ben Giles in the Washington Examiner.

POST OFFICE HOURS REDUCED: Six Cecil County post offices will have reduced hours in a move by Congress to save rural post offices and the national agency $500 million, reports Jane Bellmyer in the Cecil Whig.

BOTCHED BID: Montgomery County lawmakers have accused County Executive Ike Leggett’s administration of botching a costly recent labor bid with the county police union, reports Rachel Baye in the Washington Examiner.

SCHOOL SUSPENSION: WBAL TV’s Dave Collins examines school suspensions of children as young as kindergarteners.

CHILD SUPPORT SCAM: Fox 45 has tape of a state employee taking a cash payment to resolve a large amount of child support due. The contract worker has since been fired.

SESSION PREVIEWS: State lawmakers are looking forward to the special session scheduled for May 14, hoping they can go to Annapolis and quickly complete the work left unfinished before the legislature’s regular 90-day session ended, writes Lindsey McPherson for the Howard County Times. She interviews a number of lawmakers about the session.

Gov. Martin O’Malley, Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch will offer a preview of the session at a news conference today, according to an AP report in the Daily Record.

And State House aides said that leadership from the legislature’s standing committees that deal with the budget would also be in town today, blogs Alexander Pyles in the Daily Record.

The main topic of conversation during Sunday’s 8th annual crab-feast fundraiser for the campaigns of state Sen. Richard Colburn and Dels. Addie Eckardt and Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio was the likelihood of the General Assembly approving an increase in the state’s income tax rate during the special session, Gail Dean reports in the Easton Star-Democrat.

CITY SCHOOLS SEE FURLOUGHS: Erica Green reports in the Sun that city schools CEO Andrés Alonso is saying that Baltimore school employees would be forced to take furlough days if the district has to absorb millions of dollars in education cuts outlined in the state’s “doomsday” budget.

DIGITAL DISCLOSURE: Bethany Rodgers of the Frederick News-Post writes about the recently passed financial disclosure law for state lawmakers, which still needs the governor’s signature. The law will mean financial disclosure forms will be posted online so that constituents can easily see the holdings of their representatives. She also interviews Frederick lawmakers on their views.

DREAM ACTION: Editorial writer Barbara Hollingsworth of the Washington Examiner says that O’Malley’s campaign has asked his top supporters for donations to Casa de Maryland‘s $10 million effort to defeat a statewide referendum on the 2011 Dream Act in November, in case ongoing attempts to block the referendum fail in court.

JUICY STUFF: David Moon of Maryland Juice throws a lot of stuff at the wall, including a tidbit about a dead body floating in the ocean near a political event held for U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer and some reports about the prospects of Maryland allowing gay marriage.

PERDUE-O’MALLEY LINK: Tim Wheeler of the Sun reports that a series of emails between Gov. O’Malley and Perdue’s corporate lawyer shows what an environmental group calls a “cozy relationship” between the two law school classmates as Maryland’s chief executive weighs farm pollution regulations of concern to the Salisbury-based poultry producer.

PAIRING FOOD & WINE SALES: In an op-ed for the Sun, Adam Borden of Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws writes that most consumers want the convenience of purchasing groceries and a bottle of wine or craft beer in the same location — a right enjoyed by millions of Americans in most other states.

MORE & MORE GAMBLING: Capital-Gazette columnist Eric Hartley writes that, a month before Arundel Mills’ slot machine casino even opens, the state is already considering the next steps in gambling’s march. Another casino, perhaps in Prince George’s County. Table games everywhere. A bigger cut for the gambling companies, meaning a smaller cut for the state.

PIT BULL RULING: With the Maryland Court of Appeals ruling that pit bulls are an inherently dangerous breed of dogs, Marc Steiner of WEAA-FM hosts a panel to discuss the ruling: Pauline Houliaras of B-More Dog; Carolyn Kilborn of Maryland Votes for Animals; and Dr. Johnny Slaughter, a Baltimore veterinarian, who also wrote this op-ed on the pit bull ruling for the Sun.

ROCK ON: Blogging in the Post, John Wagner writes that what has been billed as a chance to forget about his day job, Gov.O’Malley is scheduled to perform again with his Celtic rock band on May 28 at the Rams Head, a venue in Annapolis just around the corner from the State House.

ROBOCALL TRIAL: During his robocall trial yesterday, political operative Julius Henson admitted that he wrote the message contained in that robocall. He says he was simply following orders of former Gov. Bob Ehrlich. John Rydell of WBFF-TV has the story.

EHRLICH AT VATZ’ CLASS: Former Gov. Bob Ehrlich was in professor mode yesterday afternoon as he made his annual visit to a political persuasion class at Towson University taught by his friend, Professor Rick Vatz, blogs Justin Snow of MarylandReporter.com.

PLOT INSIGHT: U.S. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, offers Denise Koch of WJZ-TV some insight into the foiled Al-Qaeda plot.

OPEN MEETINGS COMPLAINT: Debate over the meaning of gold-colored sheets of paper passed among members of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners has pitted the elected officials against residents who allege they are thumbing their noses at state open meetings rules, Nicole Fuller writes in the Sun.

ARUNDEL PETITION: With two months to go, opponents of Maryland’s new same-sex marriage law are almost halfway to their goal of getting 14,500 Anne Arundel County voters to call for a referendum in November, Sarah Blumberg reports for the Capital-Gazette.

REFERENDUMS AGENDA: David Hill of the Washington Times writes that when Marylanders go to the polls in November, the most interesting races might not involve political candidates, with an unprecedented slate of ballot initiatives that is expected to set the state’s course on social issues, including same-sex marriage and illegal immigration, and potentially on gambling and congressional redistricting.

SPECIAL SESSION: Maryland business leaders have mixed feelings regarding the special session of the General Assembly, which is planned to begin May 14. Kathleen Snyder of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce said she has heard frustration that there has to be a special session and, at the same time, heard the so-called “doomsday” budget that otherwise would be enacted in July is not the way to go about making strategic budget cuts, Kevin James Shay writes in the Gazette.

The editorial board for the Diamondback is urging the state legislature to take on the special session without bickering, since the costs of delaying a solution are too high.

Josh Kurtz of Center Maryland writes that a tax hike enacted in a special session won’t alter the bottom line on state spending or change the political realities that each individual lawmaker will have to face back home. But senators and delegates will be operating now in plain sight, without competing storylines to hide behind.

PIT BULL BILL: A group of animal activists is asking Gov. Martin O’Malley to quickly introduce legislation during the special session that would override a Maryland Court of Appeals decision deeming all pit bulls dangerous, Jessica Anderson reports in the Sun.

Pat Warren of WJZ-TV reports that a spokesperson for the governor says they have received numerous calls and emails and are looking into the matter but the special session will focus on the state budget.

SCHOOL BREAKFAST: Chef Bryan Voltaggio has gone before the state legislature to urge a widening of school breakfast programs to end childhood hunger and improve grades, Sherrie Johnson writes at WMAR-TV.

CASINO COMPETITION: When the Maryland Live! casino opens at Arundel Mills mall on June 6, the state’s biggest gambling facility will be on line. But that facility is likely to take a big chunk out of Hollywood Casino‘s business in Perryville, blogs Alexander Pyles for the Daily Record.

LABOR SECT’Y STEPS DOWN: Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has once again looked outside Baltimore government for a chief of staff, tapping Maryland Labor Secretary Alexander Sanchez for the position, Luke Broadwater and Annie Linskey write for the Sun.

LAND CONSERVATION: Carrie Ann Knauer of the Carroll County Times writes that the Maryland Environmental Trust is inviting land trusts and land conservation organizations to this year’s Maryland Land Conservation Conference, “Saving Land — Saving the Chesapeake,” on May 15 in Columbia.

ROBOCALL “COUNTERINTUITIVE:” Julius Henson, a consultant for Republican former Gov. Bob Ehrlich’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign, testified yesterday that he wrote an Election Day robocall message telling voters to “relax,” but said it was meant to be a counterintuitive effort to motivate voters in the final hours of the election, Sarah Brumfield of the Associated Press reports in the Salisbury Daily Times.

John Rydell of WBFF-TV reports that Henson has said the calls weren’t meant to suppress the vote and that the authority line was missing because Ehrlich aide Paul Schurick said it wasn’t needed.

BIKESHARE IN MO CO: The state of Maryland will be paying about half the cost of a bicycle sharing program in Montgomery County, Kate Alexander reports in the Gazette. The Maryland Department of Transportation has granted Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation $1.008 million for a proposed Bikeshare program in the downcounty areas of Friendship Heights, Bethesda, Medical Center, Takoma Park and Silver Spring.

With the legislature’s inaction last month, more than $500 million in cuts to education, state agencies and other planned spending are scheduled to take effect July 1, a result O’Malley said that he cannot stand, writes John Wagner in the Post.

A special legislative session where income taxes will likely be raised means bad news for Maryland business, according to the Republican leader of the House of Delegates. But the state’s Democratic leadership, which holds a supermajority in the legislature, clearly feels differently, Alexander Pyles of the Daily Record writes.

Philosophically, Maryland Republicans are virtually unanimous in their opposition to calling the General Assembly back to Annapolis to raise taxes or expand gambling, writes Michael Dresser in the Sun. But strategically, they couldn’t be happier that Democrats are planning to do just that.

BETTER UNDER DOOMSDAY: Jim Joyner of the Carroll Eagle reports that Carroll County’s Delegation to Annapolis says the county would be better off under the state’s “doomsday” budget, and stands to lose some $1 million in state funding in a special session of the Maryland General Assembly.

FORGET GAMBLING: State Del. Melony Griffith, in an op-ed in the Post, proposes a different approach to solving Prince George’s budget dilemma: Forget gambling and make that county the go-to destination for quality health care in the region.

PANEL COULD DELAY GAMING VOTE: Ben Giles of the Washington Examiner reports that the commission to study the expansion of gambling in the state that Gov. O’Malley could delay efforts to have gambling issues placed on the November ballot, state officials and analysts say.

CUT & HIKES: Oz Bengur, in citybizlist.com, opines that the General Assembly needs to proceed cautiously when addressing the budget situation – both to raise taxes a little bit and targeted, but making necessary cuts.

CONSTRUCTION FUNDS: Earl Kelly, in the Capital Gazette, reports that amid the turmoil of the House and Senate failing to agree on the budget before the regular session ended, it has been easy to overlook the $1.7 billion worth of non-transportation construction projects the General Assembly did approve that reaches far and wide throughout Maryland.

PENSION LIABILITY: On June 30, 2011, the unfunded liability for the Maryland pension system was $19.7 billion, which includes $11.1 billion for teachers. This means that the pension fund is short an amount of money that approximates half of the entire annual state budget, Bruce Holstein opines in the Carroll County Times.

PENSION AGREEMENTS: In Chamber Notes for the Capital-Gazette, Bob Burdon writes that government employers should honor negotiated agreements with public-sector employees, as well as meet pension funding commitments for matching and nonmatching contributions into pension plans. But a legitimate question can be raised as to whether government employers should also assume responsibility for funding levels affected by pension board investment decisions and market performance.

REDISTRICTING LAWSUIT: More than 20 Maryland residents, including a Brunswick woman, filed a legal challenge last week to the new state legislative districts. The lawsuit submitted May 1 to the Maryland Court of Appeals argues the redistricting plan that took effect Feb. 24 minimizes the political clout of certain groups by packing some districts and underpopulating others, Bethany Rodgers writes in the Frederick News-Post.

CONTRACT QUESTIONED: A legislative audit has found that the agency that oversees the state’s health plan for those uninsured because of pre-existing conditions, paid a vendor nearly $367,000 for information technology services without proving that the contract was chosen through a competitive bidding process, reports Andrea Walker of the Sun.

WINE AT GROCERIES: Grocery chains like Wegmans and Harris Teeter are trying to find ways around the state law that prohibits wine from being sold in grocery stores, drawing pushback from Maryland’s powerful liquor lobby and package goods stores but support from consumers hoping for easier food-and-wine pairings, report the Sun’s Lorraine Mirabella and Jean Marbella.

COVERAGE DENIED: Gene Ransom of the Maryland State Medical Society writes in Center Maryland that many Marylanders with insurance still are unable to have access to quality health care, with some coverage denied.

SHORE POLS SLOW TO SOCIAL MEDIA: As more people sign up for the two social media platforms, state lawmakers in Maryland and those at the local level have begun using Facebook and Twitter to campaign and rally public support around themselves. On the Eastern Shore, however, the embrace of social networking has moved a bit slower than in more urban areas, Jennifer Shutt reports in the Salisbury Daily Times.

O’MALLEY AIDE DEPARTS: Kristen Mahoney, one of the longest-serving O’Malley aides, is leaving her job as head of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention to take a position with the U.S. Department of Justice, reports the Sun’s Michael Dresser.

HENSON WAS “OUTREACH:” Testifying in his robocall trial on Friday, political consultant Julius Henson said he had proposed working as a general consultant with a “bold” broad-based plan to help Bob Ehrlich return to the governor’s mansion. Instead, Henson said, his designated role was “outreach” to black communities.

TEARE PAYOFF: Anne Arundel County Police Chief James Teare is hearing a lot of calls for his resignation, but he’ll get a big payoff for staying, Erin Cox reports for the Capital-Gazette. Were he to retire this month, he would get a lump sum of about $235,000. If he survives attempts by unions and politicians to oust him and keeps his post until May 2014, that sum swells to about $425,000.

ETHICS RULES IN FREDERICK: To some grumbling of the Frederick County commissioners, a recent broadening of ethics rules meant they had to disclose new details about their property holdings and business interests this past week, reports Bethany Rodgers of the Frederick News-Post.

GRANT DECISION: The editorial board of the Frederick News-Post opines that, at the moment when more people than ever in the county need help, it appears their government is deserting them, with the county commissioners’ decision to curtail government grants to nonprofits over the next two years.