By Craig Whitlock
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 5, 2003; Page B06
 

Former Maryland House of Delegates Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr. is coming back to Annapolis as a lobbyist, less than six months after he left office.

Taylor, a Democrat, served 28 years in the House as a delegate from Western Maryland, including nine years as speaker before losing by 72 votes to a political novice in November. He now is returning to the capital to cajole his former colleagues on behalf of one of the most influential lobbying firms in the state.

Taylor, 68, will join the lobbying arm of the Alexander and Cleaver law firm starting June 15, according to Gary R. Alexander, a founding partner and former delegate.

"I'd like to think I could still contribute to what the legislature does best, which is make policy," said Taylor. He acknowledged that it would be "strange" to return to Annapolis in a different role, adding: "I've got to realize I'm no longer the boss. I've got to adjust my internal thinking a bit."

Under Maryland law, members of the General Assembly are prohibited from working as lobbyists after they leave office until the end of the next legislative session. The legislature adjourned April 7, and Taylor has been eligible to lobby since then.

Critics said the law needs to be changed. A two-year ban on lobbying by former lawmakers would make more sense, said James Browning, executive director of Common Cause Maryland, a public-interest advocacy group.

"For him to cash in so soon is distressing," said Browning, a registered lobbyist for Common Cause. "It's a stone's throw away from Alexander and Cleaver paying him while he was still in office. It just undermines public confidence. There's just the temptation to help people out in exchange for a fat paycheck and a fancy office later on."

The current law was adopted in 1995 after several prominent legislators -- including Alexander -- turned to the lobbying profession immediately after leaving public office. Annapolis has a long roster of lawmakers-turned-lobbyists, including Taylor's predecessor as speaker, R. Clayton Mitchell Jr.

Taylor and Alexander were close political allies in the General Assembly. They served as chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the House Economic Matters Committee. When Taylor ascended to the speaker's job in 1994, Alexander served one year as the speaker pro tem before retiring to become one of the state's highest paid lobbyists. Taylor also is close with his successor in the speaker's seat, Del. Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel).

Unlike many elder statesmen in Annapolis, Taylor did not leave office willingly. He was upset Nov. 5 by Republican LeRoy E. Myers Jr. (Washington, Alleghany), a political unknown who had attacked the incumbent as one who had lost touch with Western Maryland voters.

Myers said yesterday that Taylor would make a good lobbyist. "He's an expert on how the political system works, so I guess it's natural for him. He's probably going to make more money -- if he does it well -- than he's ever made in his life."

But Myers said the state needs to strengthen the law to make it tougher for former lawmakers to trade on their contacts and become lobbyists. "I just think that's too quick for anyone to jump back in," he said.

After he was ousted by voters, Taylor set up a consulting firm in Cumberland, where he represented local governments and other clients. He also helped out Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) on an unpaid basis during the legislative session by lobbying lawmakers to legalize slot machines.

In a telephone interview yesterday, Taylor said he had not made a final decision to join the lobbying ranks. Two hours later, however, Alexander's firm sent out a news release confirming his hire.

Taylor said he knew his new career would trouble some people but added that he wasn't bothered by such talk. "I guess in the real world there will be some critics," he said. "I can't control that."
 
 
 

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