For the 43rd time in three years, the Democrat-controlled General Assembly on Friday overrode a veto by Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich, putting a reduced 15 percent rate hike in effect in July and replacing the Public Service Commission that had approved a 72 percent rate hike.
All but one Republican senator voted to sustain the governor?s rejection of the bill, including 15 members of the House who had voted for the rate reduction last week.
“This does not solve the problem ? it puts it off for 10 years,” said Sen. Sandra Schrader, R-Howard, who was one of three GOP senators who voted for the bill last week. She attended all five hours of Ehrlich?s hearing on the legislation on Tuesday, and that helped switch her vote.
Schrader said she found many of her constituents were angry that they were forced to accept the rate reduction, and then pay interest on the deferral for 10 years.
Schrader denied that the change had anything to do with the fact that she is being actively considered as Ehrlich?s running mate (an announcement is due next Wednesday). She said she had discussed the job with a representative of the governor, whom she would not identify.
In the House, the vote was 87 to 37, with only one Democrat voting with the governor.
House Speaker Michael Busch said the Republicans “put their party affiliation before the welfare of their constituents.”
One of those Republicans who voted for the bill last week and then against it on Friday was Del. Herb McMillan ? Anne Arundel, who said during floor debate that “[t]here are a lot of things about this bill I did like … but there are some bad things too.”
“This isn?t a good deal for consumers,” McMillan said, and he also noted that it allows for “sweetheart deals” on loans to finance the rate deferral between Baltimore Gas & Electric and Constellation Energy, its parent.
In typical fashion, Ehrlich lambasted the legislature for its override.
“They never cease to disappoint. … They always overreach. … It?s a proven formula of an arrogant majority.
“I was stunned by how anti-consumer the bill became,” Ehrlich said.
