Gov. Robert Ehrlich has taken no action on 331 bills enacted by the legislature, meaning he has an unusually high number of measures that he must veto, sign or let become law without his signature by May 31.
His staff says no more bill signings are scheduled or expected, but the governor is likely to veto some of the measures, either for policy reasons or because they are duplicates of bills he has already signed.
What is especially odd about the unsigned bills is that they include a number of routine measures involving liquor licensing and local fees sponsored jointly by county delegations that include Republicans. There are four bills sponsored by the Harford County delegates and senators, three by the Howard County delegation, three by the Anne Arundel delegates and three by the Anne Arundel County senators.
Four senators have 10 enacted bills that have not been signed, including two Democrats who have been targeted by Republicans for possible defeat ? Anne Arundel County?s John Astle and Southern Maryland?s Roy Dyson. But Republican Sen. Richard Colburn, Dorchester, also has 10 unsigned bills.
If Ehrlich does not veto the enacted bills, they become law automatically without his signature.
