When the Maryland General Assembly’s special legislative session is held on Monday to hash out remaining budget issues, will it be in violation of the Open Meetings Act? The Daily Record asked this question yesterday, responding to Gov. O’Malley’s previous statement that he would not recall lawmakers unless a compromise was reached beforehand, which has raised red flags for some observers.
Donald F. Norris, professor and chairman of UMBC’s Department of Public Policy, suggests the argument could be made, but ultimate some degree of pre-agreement is helpful to ensure that the special session is fruitful. If nothing substantive comes out of it, Norris told The Daily Record, lawmakers will have “wasted a lot of time and money.”
