New crop of lawmakers learn the ropes

Newbie Maryland state lawmakers got plenty of advice at their freshmen orientation program Tuesday: Don?t be know-it-alls, develop an area of expertise, don?t introduce important bills in their first year, don?t take free tickets to sporting events and don?t expect to have traffic tickets fixed.

There are 11 new senators ? four of them former delegates ? and 34 newly elected delegates, and several dozen attended the session at the Statehouse, along with about 15 of their spouses. Most were wearing the temporary Statehouse stickers, which Tuesday were misspelled “VISTOR.”