WYPR News in Maryland
(2010-01-15)
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But when Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Mike Busch are at odds, as they have so often been in recent years, legislative gridlock ensues.
Slot machine gambling has long divided the Two Mikes, but that issue was largely cleared with a 2008 voter referendum - in which slots were approved.
Now the political necessity of hard budget calls needed to close a two-billion dollar budget hole combined with November elections has the two singing in relative harmony, Miller says.
"If you take slots off the table there's a major obstacle to our relationship that has been removed. He's a vigorous opponent, I'm not a vigorous proponent, but I'm a realist. I made a deal with the Republican governor, I said look, you put the money to education, I'll put your slots bill through."
The Republican governor is former Gov. Robert Ehrlich. Ehrlich pushed slots hard during his four years in office, and the rift between the two presiding officers grew during that time.
Busch notes that for all the strain, he's always respected Miller. He is, after all, the only senate president he's served with in the Legislature over 24 years in Annapolis.
"I think there was major disagreement on the gaming issue, but I've always had a great deal of respect for Senator Miller. He's the only president of the senate I've ever known. He's respected throughout the country and obviously respected by his members. He has a tremendous amount of knowledge of the history and the institutions here. It's good that were working in concert to resolve the same issues. But I've always respected him as a great leader."
There will always be some natural friction between the "upper" and "lower" chambers of any legislative body, Miller says. But the hard budget calls that need to be made, before lawmakers ask the voters to return them to Annapolis in November, ought to dampen the intra-party wrangling for a while.
"It's an era of working together. There's always going to be the natural friction between the two chambers. Every time you have two different bodies working, you know, you have elected representatives, there's going to be friction, heat, certainly an exchange of ideas. Certainly the speaker, the governor and I will be working closely together this latest election year."
Tension between the Two Mikes hit a high note - or low note, depending on where you were standing at the time - during the legislature's special session held in November of 2007.
When it appeared that Busch's House would pass one slots bill without the accompanying measure sought by Governor O'Malley and Miller, the Senate president put on some high theatrics to display his dismay.
Speaking to reporters at the time, Miller opened his coat and revealed where a red pen had exploded in his white shirt pocket. It looked like he had been shot in the heart.
House Republican Whip Chris Shank says Miller's big personality and big ego are not easily tamed.
"I'm not sure that such an era of goodwill can survive when he doesn't get his way. I think particularly when he gets his way, and things are going according to what he wants, typically he is easy to get along with. When he's crossed he's certainly easily offended and that sort of era of good feelings can be just as easily destroyed."
However the good times could come to an end shortly, says Shank, if Miller's plan to add a slots venue in Prince George's County ruffles Busch.
"That could have the potential of ripping open old wounds."
Miller said yesterday he will be pushing for an expansion of slot machine gambling to a location in Prince George's County this session. He may use a legislative vehicle that relies on local courtesy to drive the measure, which Busch is already dismissive of.
And just like that, perhaps, the era of Pax Michaela, could be over before it really began.
I'm Tom LoBianco, reporting in Annapolis, for 88.1 WYPR.
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