O’Malley says he’ll call next week for session
Gov. Martin O’Malley said yesterday that he expects to call a special session of the General Assembly and to introduce bills outlining his budget proposals early next week.

Montgomery Legislators Struggle to Serve Two Masters
O’Malley’s proposal to make the state income tax more progressive would hit more upper-end taxpayers in Montgomery than in any other jurisdiction, and many of the county’s lawmakers have been at odds with the former Baltimore mayor’s plans to legalize slot-machine gambling.

Delegates question green fund bill
The penny-per-square-foot assessment also would apply to hardened surfaces on commercial, industrial and institutional properties, which could get breaks on the fee by taking pollution-reduction measures in buildings or removing pavement.

Reporters Notebook
Tony O’Donnell has a suggestion for a new state slogan that may put him further in O’Malley’s doghouse. ”If the governor wants to tell Marylanders what he’s really proposing, he ought to announce this week a change in the signage at the entrance to Maryland,” the GOP jefe said this week of the guv’s plan to fill the state’s budget deficit. ”… It should say, ‘Welcome to Maryland: What’s in your wallet?’”

O’Malley budget reform tour plays to Lower Shore
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley brought his budget reform tour to Salisbury University on Wednesday eager to gain momentum for a special session of the General Assembly and persuade residents that a balance of tax cuts and increases is in the best interest of the state.