Gambling, Pit Bull Bills Now In House

The House of Delegates will be working on a measure to expand gambling as a special session continues in Annapolis.
The House is scheduled to gather at 10 a.m. Monday. The House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to work on the bill Monday afternoon.
Floor debate in the House of Delegates is not scheduled to begin until tomorrow.
Senate President Mike Miller says senators will return to session tomorrow night to consider any changes the House will make to the gambling bill.
Some House sources say delegates may not finish their work on the bill by tomorrow night.
Delegates are expected to consider a number of amendments, including one that creates a legislative oversight committee made up of delegates and senators to have the final say in gambling regulation.
Under the current bill, a new gambling commission that is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate would regulate casinos.
The subcommittee chairman, Del. Frank Turner of Howard County, says that many delegates want a say in gambling regulation.
The Senate passed the bill 28-14 on Friday, the second day of the special session Gov. Martin O’Malley has called to focus on resolving lingering gambling issues in the state.
The measure would allow table games like poker and a new casino site in Prince George’s County.
Legally any gambling expansion must be approved by voters.
Lawmakers are trying to get this bill to the Board of Elections this week. The board must finalize language for a November ballot question by next Monday.
Pit Bull Bills Await Committee Vote
The House Judiciary Committee today is expected to vote on a bill that creates a strict liability standard for owners of all dogs, not just pit bulls.
The Senate approved the bill on Friday.
The change was in response to a court ruling that determined pit bulls are "inherently dangerous" animals.
The bill addresses an April decision by Maryland’s highest court that created a breed-specific, strict-liability standard for owners of pit bulls or pit bull breeds.
Under the ruling, a pit bull owner could be liable for a dog bite without previous evidence of the dog being dangerous.
The passed bill also reverses a part of the ruling by the Maryland Court of Appeals that made landlords strictly liable for pit bull bites.
The committee held a hearing on the legislation on Friday.
Gambling Roll Call Vote In Senate
On Friday night, August 10, the Maryland Senate approved SB1 "Gaming Expansion-Video Lottery and Table Games" by a vote of 28-14.
>Twenty-three Democrats and five Republicans voted in favor of the bill.
>Eight Democrats and six Republicans voted against the bill.
Four Democrats and one Republican were either absent or did not vote.