Reporter’s Notebook: Praise the Lord and pass the amendment ammunition

The amendment would have repealed the computer tax, making up the lost revenue by carrying a $114 million balance from the state’s general fund forward to fiscal 2010 and requiring Gov. Martin O’Malley to make $100 million in cuts from state agencies.

‘‘Vote down this amendment, which is premature, and wait on the Lord and he will hear our prayers,” Kelley said.

The amendment failed, perhaps leaving Kelley and others still looking for some divine intervention on the tech tax.

— Sean R. Sedam

Wish we all couldhave this problem

If age is just a number, then looking your age is relative.

In Annapolis this week, lawmakers were debating a proposal that would make driving while talking on a cell phone or text messaging a primary offense for minor drivers. The penalty is now a secondary offense and can only be cited by cops after young drivers are first pulled over for something else, like speeding.

In a long Senate debate between Brian Frosh and Andy Harris, Harris said the bill was a play on driving discrimination, in this case, ‘‘Driving While Looking Young.”

‘‘This is age discrimination,” Harris said, because cops can’t adequately determine the age of passing drivers and will have to rely on how a person looks to decide whether to pull them over.

Point taken, but Frosh also got in a dig.

‘‘Frankly,” Frosh said. ‘‘I’d love to be stopped for driving while looking young.”

Wouldn’t we all ...

— Janel Davis

Brew ha-ha

Think bipartisanship is a lost art in Annapolis? Credit James King for trying to keep it alive.

King has recruited nine teams of legislators and aides to participate in the inaugural ‘‘Bartend for Charity” at The Rockfish, his bistro, which has become a late-night hotspot among legislative lifers — the capital’s version of Cheers, where everybody knows your party affiliation.

Each team of four will man the beer taps during a one-hour time slot over the next two Tuesday nights and compete to collect the most money from barflies. The winning quartet gets to donate proceeds to the charity of its choice. Bill Somerville, the legislature’s ethics counsel, has signed off on the event, King said.

The Republican is teaming up with a trio of Democrats — Mike Vaughn, Jay Walker and Mike Busch — and competing for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

There’s also a ‘‘Ways & Means team” of Sheila Hixson, Craig Rice, Joe Bartlett and Nancy King (she was a member before moving to the Senate); an all-Prince George’s team of Melony Griffith, Jolene Ivey, Dereck Davis and Aisha Braveboy; and an under-35 team of Eric Bromwell, Johnny Olszewski, J.B. Jennings and Jeannie Haddaway.

Another squad consists of Busch’s chief of staff Kristin Jones, her soon-to-be hubby Joe Bryce, his colleague Sean Malone and Martin O’Malley’s scheduler Rebecca Mules.

And then there’s the foursome of Heather Mizeur, Maggie McIntosh, Anne Kaiser and Bob Costa.

Why no O’Malley? We don’t know for sure, but someone’s got to order the drinks. It is, after all, for charity.

— Alan Brody

Next up: Miss Chief

No Follies? No problem in a town full of pranksters.

It all started last Tuesday during a routine hearing of a bill that would assess a civil fine of up to $100 on the owner of a vehicle that flees from police. The sponsor, John Donoghue, gave a short explanation, and Environmental Matters No. 2 Jimmy Malone summoned the first witness, according to The (Hagerstown) Herald-Mail.

‘‘Ima Winer?” he said, looking for the testifier to approach the witness table.

A few snickers from committee members and Malone realized he had been had.

‘‘That bill’s dead,” he razzed. Donoghue claimed innocence the next day when asked if he was the culprit.

But the gag didn’t end there.

Malone relayed the story to the staff at Galway Bay, who milked the joke further. The next day’s menu featured a special called the Ima Winer Scallop Caesar salad, which must have left more than a few diners scratching their heads.

The joke had more legs Thursday when Maggie McIntosh told the full House that her committee would hear a briefing from ‘‘Ima Winer” at 3 p.m. Mike Busch got in on the act, imparting that Winer couldn’t make it ’til 4.

— Alan Brody

Walking wounded

State House or infirmary?

Numerous lawmakers and others have suffered bumps, bruises, breaks and more during the past two months.

The latest wounded members sported their scars this week. Mike Lenett hobbled into the Senate on Monday night on a pair of crutches, taking some ribbing from his colleagues.

‘‘Did [Jim] Rosapepe get a hold of you?” asked Ed Kasemeyer, referring to the Prince George’s County senator who is still recovering from getting run over by a car during a business trip to Belgium in December.

Nope, Lenett’s injury was less dramatic. He tore a calf muscle playing tennis Saturday, an injury that will sideline him for six to eight weeks, he said. The pain was so intense, ‘‘I thought I got shot in the leg,” Lenett said.

Bobby Zirkin’s first thought when he saw a lame Lenett: Better find another body for the House-Senate basketball game, tentatively scheduled for later this month.

That’s not all. Shane Pendergrass wore a cast on her broken left arm, a week after taking a tumble down a staircase. It will take at least four weeks to rehab, she said.

Earlier this year, Jim Robey donned a sling and cast stemming from shoulder surgery he had during the interim. Then, Pat Murray, Mike Busch’s political guru, sliced open his middle finger at home and had to have surgery twice. Ask him if it’s been an injury of convenience and he’ll flip you the bird, not that he’s got a choice with a splint on the finger. And SMECO lobbyist Dave Foggo took a spill on icy sidewalks on Election Night, causing him to be MIA for a while.

What’s in the water down here?

— Alan Brody

Top O’ the Mount

The Terps are a longshot to make the 65-team NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament when the brackets are unveiled Sunday, but a few other Maryland teams are poised for March Madness.

And their alumni in the legislature couldn’t be prouder.

Mount St. Mary’s University captured the Northeast Conference title Wednesday night. The Mountaineers will make their first tourney appearance since 1999, when Michigan State pounded them by 23 points. Their 18-14 record will once again probably relegate them to playing one of the top teams in the country.

But Bill Frank isn’t fretting. The 1982 Mount grad is reveling in being in the Big Dance.

‘‘We’re going to get blown away again,” he said matter-of-factly. ‘‘Just being there is great for recruiting and a real shot in the arm for the school itself.”

The Emmitsburg school has produced several state lawmakers past and present: Mac Middleton, former Speaker John Hanson Briscoe, former House Minority Whip Richard LaVay and former senator Leo Green.

UMBC is also on the cusp of making its first tournament appearance since moving to Division I 22 years ago. UMBC will host the University of Hartford tomorrow in the America East Conference title game.

One of its alumni in the General Assembly is on cloud nine. ‘‘We’ve been known for chess. Who would have thought basketball?” said Adrienne Jones, who joins Allan Kittleman, Jon Cardin and Jim Mathias as UMBC grads.

Morgan State and Coppin State, which both have several alumni in the State House, both reached the semifinals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament. Morgan is the top seed, while Coppin upset No. 2 Hampton to reach the semis.

It’s the first time since ’97 that three Maryland teams have a chance of reaching the tournament.

And lest we forget, tiny St. Mary’s College plays against Millsaps College tonight in the NCAA Division III quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, the flagship university might have to win its conference tourney to get its ticket punched, much to the dismay of Mike Miller, an avid Terrapins supporter.

Don’t worry Mike, at least the Lady Terps are a lock (and a possible title contender).

— Alan Brody

It’s not my party(cry if you want to)

Longtime Republican and former Montgomery County WSSC commissioner Gregory Wims has become a Democrat.

Why?

‘‘Basically, after 30 years involved in the community, in the last three or four years I became convinced that the values I stand for [such as] helping the downtrodden ... have been forgotten” by the GOP, said Wims, founder and president of the Victims Rights Foundation.

Wims said most of the volunteers and mentors in groups he works with, including the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs, are Democrats (75 percent, he estimated).

‘‘But I’m still a great fan of Ronald Reagan,” Wims said.

Which we are guessing must put him in a certain corner of the big blue tent.

— Margie Hyslop

Power to the people?

With nary an elected lawmaker to claim, the Montgomery County GOP refuses to cower.

Chairman Bill Witham is urging the party faithful to show up at town hall meetings March 15 (coincidentally the Ides of March) in Germantown and Potomac and ask state legislators ‘‘tough” questions.

For example: ‘‘Why aren’t they cutting expenses?” Withams said.

— Margie Hyslop

Diamond mind

March may be heaven for college hoops fans, but it’s also bliss for baseball buffs who are counting down to Opening Day.

Count Peter Franchot among them, even if it’s also the heart of tax filing season.

At Wednesday’s Board of Public Works meeting — the last before Opening Day — the chief fiscal officer recognized John Porcari for his office’s efforts in posting signs along Maryland highways directing fans to Nationals Park — by Metro of course, given that parking near the ballpark is scarce.

‘‘You try to drive down on Opening Day, you’re going to arrive sometime towards the end of the season,” Franchot quipped, before presenting Porcari with a red Nationals baseball cap (purchased, of course, at the Annapolis Mall, to invest in Maryland’s economy).

‘‘You know, I didn’t actually do any of that,” a modest Porcari said to laughs, sharing the credit with his troops, D.C. transportation officials and Steny Hoyer, who moved the ball at the federal level.

Franchot may be a card-carrying member of Nats Nation, but he might want to brush up on their schedule. He slipped by saying they open the season against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 30, but they’re actually playing the Atlanta Braves. (At least he got the Orioles’ opening day foe right — the Tampa Bay Rays.)

He explained later that he stumbled because Milwaukee used to be the home of the Braves. Yeah, Mr. Comptroller — 43 years ago.

As any vote-seeking Maryland politician would, Franchot made a homer World Series pick. ‘‘If anyone’s interested, I’m putting my money on the Orioles being in the World Series playing the Nationals.”

We thought he wasn’t a gambling man.

— Alan Brody

Coach or Mr. President?

Damascus High School’s football team is no stranger to the State House. They’ve won seven state championships, three in the last five years.

But their coach, Dan Makosy, is a doppelganger to a newsmaker who just might be the next commander in chief.

‘‘Why is John McCain in here with them?” Mike Miller barked from the dais when the Swarmin’ Hornets seniors were honored before the Senate on Monday.

Said Rona Kramer, whose district includes Damascus: ‘‘Mr. President, he says everybody tells him that.”

We can think of worse people to resemble.

— Alan Brody

Good company

The O’Malley for veep rumors have quieted of late, but Republicans aren’t buying it.

The New York Times reported last week that www.ClintonOMalley.com is one of two dozen Internet domain names registered by the RNC or showed up on servers the committee uses in an effort to secure the preferred web sites of the Democratic presidential ticket.

The Clinton⁄O’Malley site is one of a few RNC-secured domains prophesizing possible running mates — Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, Montana gubbie Brian Schweitzer and former Nebraska governor-cum-senator Bob Kerrey are the others. Other sites are less complimentary of the New York senator, such as clintoniscorrupt.com and hopelesshillary.com

The RNC also snapped up several Barack Obama-related sites earlier this year, like Obamanotready.com and norealexperience.com. Sorry Doug, www.obamagansler.com is still out there.

McCainSteele.com is one of the GOP sites reserved but former guv Bob Ehrlich is only paired with his initial pick at www.GiulianiEhrlich.com.

The Clinton⁄O’Malley site was registered last November, but no material turns up on the page. O’Malley press secretary Rick Abbruzzese offered equal parts flattery for being in such good company among Dems and disappointment that the GOP would reserve the site, presumably for less-than-sincere reasons.

‘‘We all know that the Republican playbook includes using dirty tricks on the Internet,” he said. ‘‘We wish they’d put as much effort into governing as dirty Internet tricks.”

Who can blame him for losing hope in truth-in-advertising in politics?

— Alan Brody

Smith soiree

Despite having nearly 500 large in the bank as of January, term-limited County Exec Jim Smith wants to reel in more moolah. Guests will pay $150 ($1K for VIPs) to attend a fundraiser Wednesday at Martin’s West.

O’Malley, a Smith ally, is scheduled to attend the affair, which is sure to stoke talk of Smith’s political future. Many observers expect him to run against Franchot, who has raised the ire of some top Dems, but dethroning the incumbent will take more than a fat kitty. Franchot has a strong base in the D.C. suburbs and is expected to drum up support in Baltimore-area black churches with his anti-slots hyperbole.

Let the games begin.

— Alan Brody

Herb’s back

Speaking of early campaigns, former delegate Herb McMillan is also getting a jump on fundraising.

He’s hosting a cocktail reception at his Annapolis home on Tuesday with Ehrlich. Tickets for the ‘‘Say Goodbye to Winter” party cost $150 apiece and serves as McMillan’s first event for the 2010 cycle.

‘‘You’ve always got to be getting ready for the next challenge,” he said, adding he plans to start going door-to-door soon.

After falling to John Astle by less than 3,000 votes in 2006, he’s taking aim at recapturing his delegate seat. The American Airlines pilot has stayed in the thick of politics, writing newspaper columns and even plans to testify on the Real ID bill next week.

A fundraising letter sent to supporters in December yielded about $10K, and he is confident that he’ll field a strong bid in Mike Busch’s district (Can you say LeRoy Myers?). Even with the election two-plus years away, McMillan thinks it will be a more GOP-friendly political climate because of voters’ lingering discontent over tax increases.

‘‘Politics is frequently cyclical,” he said. ‘‘I was criticized last time because I voted against the budgets, and now people know why. We’re going to be proven right in two years and our time is coming.”

Them be fightin’ words.

— Alan Brody

Talking head

Former White House flack Ari Fleischer will be in Pikesville on Sunday evening to launch the Baltimore chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

Fleischer, who delivered the daily press briefings for the Bush administration from 2001 to 2003, will speak about the importance of the presidential race to Israel and the Jewish community. He has since written Taking Heat, which cracked the top 10 New York Times bestseller list, and is president of his own communications firm and a board member for the national Republican Jewish Coalition.

Tickets are free for RJC members and $25 for nonmembers.

— Alan Brody