Busch is choice as speaker of House

Democrats unanimous in vote to replace Taylor

By David Nitkin
Sun Staff

December 3, 2002

Democrats in the state House of Delegates unanimously picked Del. Michael E. Busch of Anne Arundel County to fill the influential position of speaker yesterday, completing an orderly
transition that contrasts vividly with the political upheaval that raged through Maryland this year.

Busch said the walk from his delegate's desk to the speaker's podium in the majestic House chambers was bittersweet: He is taking power only because of the defeat of Speaker Casper R.
Taylor Jr., a longtime friend who lost re-election by 76 votes.

"He was a great leader and mentor to me," said Busch, 55, speaking after a Democratic caucus vote. "If I had my druthers today, I'd be sitting here cheering for him."

At Busch's urging, Democrats selected Del. Adrienne A.W. Jones of Baltimore County as speaker pro tem. Jones, a low-key legislator elected to her second full term, becomes the first
African-American woman to hold the post, which requires her to lead the chamber when the speaker is out of the room.

"He told me he wanted someone who was a consensus builder," said Jones, 48, an equal employment opportunity director with Baltimore County. "We have a mutual admiration for each
other."

With Democrats in command of the House by a large majority, Busch and Jones are certain to capture the positions when the General Assembly convenes for its 90-day session next
month.

Long seen as a successor to Taylor - whose nine-year speakership is the longest in Maryland since the 18th century - Busch ascended to one of the three most powerful positions in
state government with scant opposition.

His lone rival, Del. Howard P. Rawlings of Baltimore, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, dropped out weeks ago. Busch won dozens of supporters with an easygoing,
nonconfrontational style that wears well among competing egos.

An Anne Arundel County recreation manager and former football coach at St. Mary's High School, Busch takes over during challenging times.

The state faces a $1.8 billion budget shortfall over two years, and a Republican governor is moving into the State House for the first time since 1966 - weakening the influence of
Democrats in the General Assembly.

"Now we as Democrats live in a completely different new world," said Del. Kumar P. Barve of Montgomery County, as he nominated Busch for the speaker's position. "We are now
becoming a two-party state."

Busch served with Gov.-elect Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. when Ehrlich was a delegate, and the two are friends. Busch said he would work with the new governor, but expects to differ with him
on key issues. "There's no question where my allegiance is," he said.

Busch indicated yesterday that he is cool to one of Ehrlich's key campaign pledges: bringing slot machine gambling to Maryland's race tracks. It will be Ehrlich's responsibility, he said, to
line up support for gambling because "it's not an initiative of the Democratic leadership."

"Slots is just one part of the equation to deal with the budget structure," Busch said. He added it is more important to examine the state's overall revenues, and its reliance on income and
capital gains taxes.

His ascension moves the House to the left after an election that saw the GOP knock off the sitting House speaker and pick up eight House seats.

Taylor, a rural moderate from Allegany County, often took more liberal positions than his constituents would have liked to stay in power. But Busch says he's more progressive on
abortion, gun control and other issues than his predecessor.

"I think you'll see us be a little more aggressive in the area of environmental policy than we have been in the past," he said.

The selection of Busch creates at least one - and probably more - leadership vacancies in a long-static House. The most obvious is a new chairman of the Economic Matters Committee,
which Busch led.

Other committee leaders could be shifted. Busch said he will announce committee assignments and leadership posts by the end of next week.

"Everyone in current leadership will be in leadership," he said. "Someone might move from right guard to right tackle."

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