Kane caves on ballot question language

I recently posted on Secretary of State Mary Kane's proposed language for a ballot question that would bar the Board of Public Works (i.e., Gov. Ehrlich) from selling public land without the approval of the General Assembly: Not only was it much more verbose than what the General Assembly had drafted, it also made it sound like the measure would be a burden on the Governor's business, rather than put a check on his power. Now, however, Secretary Kane has relented:

Amid criticism from legislative leaders and environmentalists, Maryland's secretary of state has agreed to scrap her wording of a ballot question on whether to amend the state constitution to restrict state land sales.

Instead, Secretary of State Mary D. Kane said she would use the wording of the amendment as approved by the General Assembly.

"We didn't want to have a fight over something we didn't intend to have a fight over," said Kane, who was appointed by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

Given the Ehrlich administration's history of warring with, and ultimately losing to, the General Assembly, it's probably a good thing that Secretary Kane backed off.

As for the measure itself, I think it's a good idea: we have the legislative branch check the executive branch on a vast array of issues; why not on something as important as park land and nature preserves? Of course, it's obvious that the Democrats in the General Assembly put forth the measure to embarass Ehrlich as he's running for reelection. But given the fact that the Ehrlich administration tried to make the land sale back in 2004 in secret, it's not an undeserved jab.

Tags: MD-Gov, Bob Ehrlich, environment