Watch Your Language

Having praised Bob Ehrlich, now let us go back to slamming him:

The Ehrlich administration has revised the General Assembly's suggested wording of a high-profile ballot question restricting state land sales in a way legislative leaders and environmentalists say appears designed to confuse and mislead voters.

The ballot question is, of course, in response to the Ehrlich administration's attempt to sell off some 3,000 acres of public land to politically friendly developers, including land in Carroll, Frederick, and St. Mary's Counties. Secretary of State Mary Kane, wife of Maryland Republican Party chair John Kane and the drafter of the new language, claims she's only following precedent and trying to make the ballot more comprehensible to voters. Is that true? Let's have a look. Here's the original language that the General Assembly approved:

The Board of Public Works may not approve the sale, lease, transfer, exchange, grant, or other permanent disposition of any state-owned or state-designated outdoor recreation, open space, conservation, preservation, forest or park land without the express approval of the General Assembly or a committee that the General Assembly designates by statute, resolution, or rule.

Fairly straightforward, in my opinion. Now here's the language that Secretary Kane wants to replace it with:

Requires the General Assembly or a committee the General Assembly designates to approve any permanent disposition of state-owned outdoor park land before the Board of Public Works approves the disposition.

(Amending Article XII-Public Works)

This constitutional amendment will require the Board of Public Works to delay the sale, transfer, exchange, grant or any permanent disposition of any state-owned outdoor recreation, open space, conservation, preservation, forest, or park land until the General Assembly or a committee the General Assembly designates approves the disposition.

Currently, state agencies initiate the review process by notifying the Maryland Department of Planning of excess property under its control. After the review is over and the property is deemed excess, the Maryland Department of General Services or the Maryland Department of Transportation can request the item be placed on the Board of Public Works agenda.

Following the Board of Public Works determination, either the Department of General Services or the Department of Transportation disposes of the property subject to the conditions imposed by the Board of Public Works.

This is, by ballot question standards at least, much longer. Moreover, it sounds like it was written by an executive branch official interpreting the measure as favorably as possible, despite the fact it's taking power away from the Governor, and, maybe more importantly, bringing up an old embarassing issue for Ehrlich just in time for Election Day. Unfortunately, it looks like the Secretary's language will go on the ballot in November, unless it gets challenged in court.

Tags: Maryland politics, Bob Ehrlich, public land, environment