A special session of the Maryland General Assembly to deal with gambling will begin August 8. Governor Martin O’Malley issued the order today for the special session that will deal with gambling issues such as allowing table games and whether to allow a referendum on a new casino in Prince George’s County.
O’Malley announced the special session with Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller (D: Calvert, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel) and Speaker of the House Michael Busch (D: Anne Arundel) by his side. Both lawmakers said they believed legislation would pass quickly.
The proposal to be addressed at the special session requires a referendum on the Prince George’s County casino not only to pass state-wide but also in Prince George’s County. If passed that would add a sixth allowed casino in Maryland to the five already approved in 2008.
House Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell (R: Calvert, St. Mary’s) and Minority Whip Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio (R: Talbot) released the following statement regarding the Governor’s announcement of an August Special Session: “We regret the Governor’s decision to hold a Special Session on gambling. As we have said before, the harrowing pressure cooker of a get-it-done-quick special session is not the place to debate an issue as complex as the expansion of gaming in Maryland. There will be little to no time for public comment, and as we saw in the closed-door meetings of the gaming workgroup, transparency will be nonexistent. Moreover, the image of Democratic leaders flanked by organized labor and Las Vegas gambling interest should be chilling to anyone who believes in honest and open government. This Special Session may serve the interests of the Governor’s national aspirations and his new special friends, but it does not serve the interests of the citizens of Maryland.”
