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This story was corrected on Dec. 30, 2010. An explanation of the correction follows the story.

State lawmakers say the election of Prince George's County Executive Rushern L. Baker III will provide the unity needed to secure more state aid and finally end the county's hospital system crisis, but the delegation remains split on proposals to close a campaign funding loophole, ease removal of elected officials and allow poker tournaments at volunteer fire stations.

"We have someone who is intimately familiar with Annapolis," Del. Marvin E. Holmes Jr. (D-Dist. 23B) of Kettering said of Baker (D), who served as a state delegate from 1994 to 2002. "He knows the process and he knows the players."

The state is anticipating $1.2 billion in spending cuts in fiscal 2012, but Baker said he plans to use his Annapolis contacts to seek more funding for education by emphasizing Prince George's political power when the legislature convenes Jan. 12. 

"If you look at the lion's share of the vote, it was Prince George's County that re-elected the governor," Baker said. "That's something we plan to remind them of."

The school system gets roughly $1 billion of its $1.6 billion budget from the state. County leaders have asked the state for an additional $139 million next fiscal year to offset the loss of federal stimulus money. Schools chief William R. Hite Jr. has proposed eliminating middle school sports, freezing salaries and possibly cutting 1,000 teacher positions if the system does not receive additional aid.

Baker hopes the state will also help fund the county's troubled hospital system — which has required frequent county and state bailouts during the past decade to help make up for lost costs due to a large number of uninsured patients — until a solution can be reached. A previous deal that kept the hospital afloat using annual injections of $12 million expired last year after a state panel was unable to find a buyer for the facilities. Other efforts have failed over disputes between county and state leaders.

"I want to actually ink a deal that says this is where the money is going to come from," said Baker, who has previously spoken in favor of having the state or a business take over the hospital system. "That gives us time to come up with an overall plan for health care in the county."

Lawmakers also hope to block a proposal that would require counties to pay a portion of the teacher pension system currently covered by the state. Current proposals to have each county pay for some of the teacher retirement funds would cost Prince George's between $39 million and $50 million. 

"We will have a united presentation around staving off the [costs] that would shift to the county," said Griffith, delegation chairwoman. "And if that happens, I'd consider that a win."

Delegates are not as united on other proposals, however.

One of the most controversial measures is a proposal eliminating a loophole that has allowed developers to contribute money to County Council candidates through slates, fundraising groups shared by candidates.

State law since 1993 has banned council members from accepting direct campaign contributions from a developer and voting on project requests introduced by the developer; however, builders have bypassed the rule by contributing to slates.

"I don't know if it's going to pass, but I believe that [this] is what people are calling for," said Del. Justin Ross (D-Dist. 22) of Hyattsville, who is co-sponsoring the bill with Del. Dereck E. Davis (D-Dist. 25) of Upper Marlboro.

Ross and Davis expect objections to the proposal since most delegates are members of slates with council members who would be impacted by the proposed ban.

Del. Barbara Frush (D-Dist. 22) of Beltsville is also expecting an uphill battle. Frush is working on a recall proposal that would ease removal of elected officials. Frush tried to introduce a similar law in 2007, but it failed to gain support.

Frush revived the proposal at the request of constituents concerned about ongoing federal investigations into county leaders.

"It depends on the mindset of the General Assembly," she said of the proposal's chances for success.

County volunteer fire companies are again pushing for the right to host poker tournaments at fire halls to raise money for new equipment. The practice was banned in 1997 after several embezzlement arrests. 

A bill to allow the tournaments last year was rejected amid concerns that it could lead to other gambling proposals, but Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Dist. 27A) of Upper Marlboro has renewed the effort.

"There are some people who do not any gambling of any kind in Prince George's County," Del. Melony Griffith (D-Dist. 25) of Upper Marlboro said of the reasons the bill failed. "But it's a new day and a new bill. We'll see what happens."

dvalentine@gazette.net

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated when the legislature reconvenes in January 2011.