senate president mike miller will make some comments, followed by house speaker mike busch, and then the governor. all the people you see on the steps are members of the clergy, families of same-sex couples. there are some lawmakers up there. this is an historic event for maryland and they are all here to witness the bill signing, as close as you can possibly get to it. this is what the same sex marriage bill does. it allows a same-sex couples to marry in a civil ceremony and get the full legal benefits as other legal couples. during debate over this measure, several supporters pointed out that it will end the state sanctioned discrimination. it extends legal protections to certain institutions for failing to perform same-sex marriages. this is scheduled to begin at 5:00 sharp. you know how things go. we will bring back to the studio, and please join us when the ceremony begins, a bill signing ceremony of historic proportions, making maryland the eighth state to legally recognize same-sex marriage. david collins, reporting live from annapolis. >> maryland will join seven other states

being here and our historic chambers to the right is the president and the maryland state senate, mike miller. ploughs . >> to my left is the speaker of the house, mike bush we're joined by so many people here, including the lieutenant governor anthony brown. attorney general gentzler. and so many members of the senate and house of delegates. i have a couple of brief remarks and everyone this we will find the bill that all of you have come to witness. lieutenant governor brown, speaker bush, president miller, men and women of the maryland general assembly, members of the clergy and fellow members. for a free and diverse people, for people of many faiths, for people committed to the principle of religious freedom the way forward is always found through greater respect for the equal right of all. for the human dignity of all. religious freedom was the reason for our state's founding, and at the heart of religious freedom is the freedom of individual conscience. if there is a thread that unites all of our work here together, it's the thread of human dignity. the dignity of work, the dignity of a

but with rising gas prices, senate president, mike miller says that will make it harder to increase the gas tax. pf the gas tax increase passes, it can't be challenged beccuse it's an appropriations bill.if you oppose the proposal... let your lawwakers kkow now.americans for prosperity began a peeition ... to finn the link to that... and see more stories on the proposed gas tax innrease..go to ffx balitmore dot com &p...and click on "maryland gas tax" under "hot topics." 3 gas ... some of the things you've heard are true... some are not.it's true regular tune ups can save you gas money... as well as accelerating slowly. but if ou heard turning on your air connitioner áwaatesá gas... that is false. 3 no. myth. because when you have the windows ddwn that &ppuus more drag n the veehcle the way he newer vehicles are set up these days the air efficient.most of the time e ef. those gas additives won't help you at all. along route one in elkridge... this hess station.... is it's siin celebrating 40 years in business have customers shocked by the price change at the pump. (keith madsen- station

state senate resident mike miller said todaa that it is unlikely a gas sales tax will pass during thisrrs the &pgas sales tax but believes th ggneral assemmly won't get it done thhs spring.. he's suggesting a special session later in the year to giiv lawmakers more time to consider it. if.../ lawmakers.../ approve.../ a... hike... tax...../ ááitáá can't... be challenged.../ áábecauseáá.../ it'ss.. an.../ appropriations bill...//. ááifáá ou oppose... the.../ measure...// ááletáá.../ your... lawmakees.../ know... now...///. ááamericansáá for... prosperity.../ &pstarted .../ a... petition drive .../ to... give to.../ lawmakers....// áá findáá the... link... toothat.. / ááandáá see... more proposed.../ gas... tax increase.../ ááby áá going to .../ foxbaltimore dot com...//. ááclickáá on.../ "maryland... gas tax" .../ p3 a bill barring smoking in any vehicle with a passenger pnder 8 years old has cleared its first hurdle in annapolis. it passed through a senate committe after tto attempts to amend the bill failed toddy. the measure would make smoking in a car with young child a primary offe

. >> reporter: that's why senate president mike miller says it is unlikely lawmakers will pass that tax increase this session. they're already being asked to pass other tax increases to help balance the budget. republicans solidly oppose the gas tax increase, calling it inflationary. >> it is a job killer. it raises the cost of goods and services and food. >> there's never a good time to raise the gas staks tax. -- tax. >> reporter: the transportation secretary says phasing it in will allow them to get major improvements that for now are on hold. >> we are not able to embark on any new projects. and basically, that pattern will continue. >> in fact, add-up costs for just the number 1 priority in baltimore city. and the state would need an extra $12 billion. but many drivers say that money shouldn't come out of their wallet. >> it's killing us, man. we're trying to make it here. and working every day. and can't do it. >> reporter: senate president mike miller also suggested that the gas tax may have a better chance at passing during a special session. that is, if the price per gallon com

. >>> meanwhile, senate president mike miller says the senators are looking for a bill that would repeal a maryland tax cut approved back in 1997. the repeal would help reduce the state's $1.1 billion deficit by increasing the state's income tax by a quarter%. they haven't settled on firm number yet. >>> another tax bill is the controversial gas sales tax. this saturday americans for prosperity will hold a protest in catonsville. the group claims that if it passes, the tax on a gallon of gasoline will go from 42 to 63 cents. governor martin o'malley said it's needed for transportation projects and to create jobs. >>> a flu medicine may be the key to repairing brain injuries. that's according to a new study. patients got better quicker. many doctors believe that many using it to treat brain injuries years ago could help out a lot. as of now there hasn't been a definitive study to show that it works. >>> the attempt to roll -- the mesh is sponsored by roy blunt and would allow insurers to opt out. that includes the law's requirements that insurers cover the cost of birth control. republica

senate president mike miller also wants slots and table games at the raceway. one casino already in the works, maryland live at of arundel mills, is starting to fill up. it will be one of the largest gaming and entertainment facilities in the country, with nearly 5000 machines in all, as well as electronic table games. the grand opening is slated for june. >> another nice day out there. temperatures beginning to rise through the 70's. we have sunshine here in town. west of us, there are clouds. i west virginia, there is a thunderstorm activity. there's something going on at around here, and i guess what we call a back door cool front. it is right overhead. this will hold the temperatures down. this front will also hold the rain away, at least for a while. i will discuss all this in just a minute. >> secretary of defense leon panetta is wrapping up his visit to afghanistan today. he is meeting with top afghan officials, including the country's president. as richard engel reports, the military as it moved out of the country the army staff sergeant accused of goin

senate president mike miller says thinks they are unlikely to share this. >> we need to raise money. but i'm not sure this is the right way to do it. >> reporter: senate president mike miller has suggested that a gas tax increase might have more luck getting through in a special session later this year. but governor o'malley is pushing forward, asking lawmakers to go ahead and pass the increase before the end of this session. derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> all right, derek, thank you. we'll see what happens. maryland's current gas tax of 23.5 cents per gallon was set back in 1992. >>> undercover police bust a prescription drug ring among maryland commuters. five people are charged with selling pills, including xanax at the cromwell light rail station. some of the suspects were also caught with marijuana. detectives went undercover for two days to make the arrest. >>> a jury finds virginia tech negligent for delaying a warning for a massacre on campus. jurors returned the verdict in a wrongful death lawsuit, for two students killed back in april 2007. the two believe their ch

senate president mike miller opposes same-sex marriage. he told the chamber that his vote will be on the other side of history. when the official bill signing ceremony was over, he left quickly and the lieutenant governor filled his seat. those opposed are organizing a petition drive to get the question before the november ballot to let the voters have the final say. david collins, wbal-tv 11 news. >> it started out as a proposal to try and merge the university of maryland college park and the university of maryland baltimore. both schools agreed to what they now call an alliance. tim tooten is live in the newsroom with tonight's education alert. what is the difference between an alliance and a merger. >> the alliance allows the two schools to accomplish the same goal while keeping their own identities. today that is what they agreed to. >> the college park president was the official cheerleader for the new partnership, one designed to tear down the economic -- and academic perry's that separated the two schools. >> university of maryland

mike miller.../ saas.../ harder...// &p to... increaae...// the... gas taa. ááifáá.../ the...áá.../ it's... an.../ appropriations bbll...///. áááfáá p you... oppose the... proposal.. / ááyouuá must let...// yourr..// lawmakers... know.../ now..../// for rosperity.../ began...// a... petition drive..../// the link....to thaa../// ááandáá seee.. ámoreá... stories.../ on... the proposed .../ gas... tax.../ increase .../ áááyyá going... to.../ foxbaltimore dot com..../// ááclickáá on.../ "maayland gas tax" .../ uuder hot topics. 3 bad day for maryland congressman roscoe bartlett. bartlett.hh's in a hhiry sstuation.... ver a proposal to give tax brraks.....to americans with mustaches.the american mustache institute claimmd tuesday that bartlett had lent his support to the 'stache act,,which calls for a tax deduutionn f up to 250 dollars... for people with mustaccess bartlltt's office said he never supported the measure.buu staffers did forward a copy of the proposal to a hoose committee uudee bartlett's name.... , without the congressman's knowledge. now roscce's chief of staff is

mike miller told reporters they might hold a special session to discuss this very controversial issue. this is not only hot-button issue taken place. they're trying to iron out issues concerning the budget. for more on that, dave collins inside the white house with more. >> of the senate just gave preliminary approval of the state budget that sets up a final vote tomorrow. they are debating raising the state income tax rate. when republicans and democrats get together down here, they rarely agree on anything, especially when it comes to budget matters. today one thing proved to be an exception. >> holding state agencies accountable. in rare act of bipartisanship, the senate agreed to withhold funding from departments that deal to submit required supports. dereports. the state health department those several. reports on sanctioning guidelines for doctors. improving financial oversight in the developmental oversight corporation. waiting for a report on juvenile services on the new evaluation process. from chesapeake bay restoration funds will be restricted until a report on the strategi

. >> reporter: mike miller paused to thank gingrich for stopping by. after a brief tour, gingrich spoke with the media. he has based some of his campaign on promising to get gas down to $2.50. he showed his displeasure with the addition to the gas tax. >> there's a talk about the increase in the gas tax. given everybody's concern about the price of gasoline to have an effort made to praise the price by as much as 25-cent as gal -- 25 cents a gallon strikes me as being hasn't working american. >> reporter: he took a tour of annapolis and stopped to shake hands. he stopped by chicken ruth's and had a crab cake sandwich. some are glad he is still in the campaign. >> i don't think anybody should throw in the towel yet. there are a lot of people undecided. it makes a big difference that he makes himself known and that he's still in the race. >> reporter: in annapolis, don harrison. >>> police in georgia show up at a home to evict the owner. before they can show up, he blows the home up. >>> a dramatic rescue a horse rescue. how firefighters managed to pull

. >> the president mike miller said the bill is on the back burner for now and may be taken up latern in the session. >>> man took a famous photograph passes away. how the picture did and didn't change his life. >> i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america. >> it's precisely 9:30 at chicken roost deli. a ritual started some two decades ago usually ends in a crowd with photographers. >> we're here to discuss the life of sam stearns. >> made a bit of news himself. >> the person that took the photo of john kennedy saluting went by. >> this photographer in his image, the only photographer to catch one of the briefest yet most powerful images of the kennedy presidency. >> when he got that shot, he said, i got something here. his boss was all over him about, what are you doing here? >> sam's instinct was correct. history came to him. >> his whole career was wound around the picture and put him in the spotlight. he became not just an every day photographer. >> left upi in the '70s coming back to the studio. worked for united press international. owned the image, so ico

. >> reporter: the president of the senate, mike miller, the same-sex marriage issue has been handled in annapolis, issues like the gas tax will be moved to the end of the session. legislators can wrestle with a budget that has a gaping billion dollars hole. if they can't add to the budget, they have to subtract. >> strong possibility of more cuts. we have alternative of cuts to higher education, public education, medicaid, if we can't find revenues, then the cuts are going to go in place. >> reporter: as the price of gas is increasing, the possibility of the gas tax seems to be decreasing. >> close up to $5 a gallon. i don't think there will be an appetite for it. >> it's walking in to a nightmare that working families are experiencing throughout the state. >> we will call ourselves swim tax season. >> reporter: she has her kids here for a swim meet with travel to practice and games, any increase in gas hurts. >> i understands the state's economic constraints, but i think the timing is bad with the uncertainty and the expectations that the gas prices is going to keep rising significa

. >> the president of the maryland state senate mike miller. [ cheering and applause ] >> to my left is speaker of the house mike bush. [ cheering and applause ] >> and we're joined by so many people here including lieutenant governor anthony brown. [ cheering and applause ] >> attorney general gansler. [ cheering and applause ] >> and so many members of the senate and the house of delegates. i just have a couple of brief remarks and then we will sign the bill that all of you have come here to witness. lieutenant governor brown, speaker bush, president miller, men and women of the maryland general assembly, members of the clergy and fellow marylanders, for a free and of diverse people, for a people of many faiths, for a people committed to the principle of religious freedom, the way forward is always found through greater respect for the equal rights of all. for the human dignity of all. religious freedom was the very reason for our state's founding and at the heart of religious freedom is the freedom of individual conscience. if there is a threat that unites all of our work here toge

. >>> senate president mike miller says the bill is back on the back burner now and may not be taken until later in the session. >>> a standoff in a baltimore neighborhood lasts all night then ends with the suspect surrendering. it happened in the 3500 block of edgewood road. police say the suspect got into an argument during a party and fired two gunshots. no one was hurt but the swat team was called in. the standoff sended about 9:00 -- ended about 9:00 this morning. >>> friends and family are coming together to remember a little girl was murdered. a candle light vigil was set to be held for maya carr. her father was reportedly upset because maya soiled herself. that vigil is tonight a little bit later we'll have that on eyewitness news at 11:00. >>> every couple of years a news photograph comes along that we'll never forget. one of the most memorable images was taken by a photographer from ann lap his. -- annapolis. >> i paraplegic allegiance to the flag of united states of america. >> reporter: it's precisely 9:30 at chicken roast deli in annapolis, a ritual started some two deca

senate president mike miller says it is unlikely the general assembly will pass the gas tax hike this session. he suggests a special session later this year. and drivers hope to put the brakes on the gas tax hike permanently. >> extra 6% we can't afford that, we can't afford these high gas prices as it is. >> governor o'malley wants to raise the gas tax 2% each year for the next three years and in the end he could raise the price of gas by 20 cents, from hamden, monique griego, wjz eyewitness news. >> the last time they were raised at the state level was in 1992. >> conservative gop candidate rick santorum has the wind at his back, he won primaries in alabama and mississippi last year. we have the latest from the white house. >> reporter: rick santorum heads back to the campaign trail after a southern sweep. >> we did it again. >> reporter: the former senator picked up hard fought victories in the alabama and mississippi primaries. >> this campaign is about ordinary folks doing extraordinary things lot of like america. >> now he says it is time for this to become a two man race. santo

the governor signed the bill at exactly 5:14 this afternoon nanned by senate president mike miller who opposed the bill and house speaker michael busch who supported it. afterwards i spoke with several gay couples who attended who said they could not believe that this day has finally arrived. >> our family has been fighting for this for a long time. so it's a very exciting day for us. >> it really sends a message home that every child and their families are valued, that there's safety, that there's legal recognition and protection. >> reporter: keep in mind the celebration might not last long. opponents of gay marriage are trying to put the issue on the ballot in november and polls have consistently shown that maryland residents are pretty evenly split on same sex marriage. we shall see if the law stands up. >> yes, we shall. matt, thank you. >>> timothy buzbee may have attacked more women than any other rapist in maryland history spreading terror in a way most of us didn't feel again until the infamous sniper attacks. today more than three decades after those rapes a montgomery county

the senate president mike miller does not think the deduction limit will survive in the general assemblyyou start dealing with income tax deductions, people get pretty upset. a big deal. >>> 4:41. before you make your weekend plans, you want to hear howard's forecast coming up. >>> plus, find out why a local congressman is insisting metro remove a billboard telling the president of the united states where to go. keep it here. >>> we are back. it's been a crazy year so far. >> the cherry blossom press conference, itself preview of the the festival is coming up. we'll get the prediction later this morning about how early or late the cherry blossoms will be. >> we've had crazy more weather. >> i think it's going to be more difficult. i've covered this in the past. there's a process. where are the buds now. there are four, five stages of development. depending on where they are and there are some indicator trees. you may have already seen some cherry trees in bloom. some of those, when they bloom, all right, two weeks from now-- >> where i live the forsythia is out already, everywhere. >> th

senate president mike miller said it might be better to hold a special session to give gas prices a chance to drop first. miller also says he wonders if lawmakers will have an appetite to discuss the increase as they debate on other taxes in the state budget. governor martin o'malley is scheduled to testify today about his proposal to increase the tax on gas purchases by 6%. >>> here's some other things making news now. the judge in the penn state sex abuse scandal has rejected a request from jerry sandusky's lawyer. the request included when and where the alleged crimes took place but the judge said the prosecutors don't have aniation dl details. sandusky's attorney says he'll go to court next week to ask that all child sex abuse charges against his client be dismissed. sandusky is accused of abusing ten boys over 1 years, a claim -- over 15 years, a claim he has denied. >>> the parents of two virginia tech shooting victims are demanding a full account on what happened that day. they claim virginia tech officials should have issued an earlier warning about the danger on campus. school adm

and seated with mike miller and the speaker of the house michael bush, surrounded by scores of same-sex couples, gay rights activists, lawmakers, their staffs and families and some everyday marylanders. >> if there is a threat that unites all of our work here together, it's the threat of human dignity. the dignity of work, the dignity of the job. the dignity of every child's home. the dignity of every individual. we are one maryland. >> reporter: though he signed the legislation into law, it doesn't take effect until next january. in the meantime, opponents started the process of gathering signatures to get this put on the november ballot to put it to a referendum of maryland voters in november. if a majority of marylanders say no, we don't support it, it's back to square one; however, if they do vote and the polls show them evenly split if theyy into the vote to approve this, it will be the first country in the nation, the first state in the nation to have citizens as a whole approve it. >> and thank you. >>> a news alert from capitol hill. where there is another battle over birth cont

senate president mike miller says he does not think that will survive the general assembly. >>> in virginiat budget plan in the assembly now dead. the state senate vote along party lines to a 20-20 stalemate and republican lieutenant governor bill bolling is not allowed to vote to break the tie. now lawmakers must agree on a version by july 1st or virginia could face a partial government shutdown. options to get a deal include a new proposal from the governor or perhaps a special legislative session. >>> top honors for a local soldier tonight. he is one of 78 service members being monerred at a white house dinner. thomas james -- honored at a white house dinner. thomas james introduces to us captain yolanda lee. >> over the main supply route or convoy was hit. >> reporter: d.c. native captain yolanda lee accounts her most horrific day in iraq, losing a member of her platoon. >> we had so many engagements where they've left a mark in each of our lives. >> reporter: during that ordeal lee's platoon captured several iraqis earning every member a bronze star medal. the white house invited capta

. >> o' mally was flanked during the ceremony by senate president mike miller who voted against the gayriage bill and by house speaker michael bush who voted for it fantastic. very exciting. >> hundreds of gay rights supporters and gay couples. >> i'm here to celebrate a momentous occasion in the states history. >> people like sharon gornsteinhad and her partners, the parents of two boys who call his a historic occasion and said they can't wait to get married. >> do you think this day would ever come? >> i knew it would come. it's an amazing thing the governor and legislation have done for us. >> opponent to gay marriage of course, saw the day much differently. >> i'm certainly against same sex marriage. >> reverend elwood gray of peace in the valley baptist church says he's fully in favor of civil rights for homosexuals but he cannot under any circumstances support the right of homosexuals to get married. >> when it comes down holy matt are monday it, i think that the governor has made a grave error. >> the law goes into effect on january 1. keep in mind though that opponents are hopin

senate president mike miller prepared a doomsday budget to reflect more than $700 million in cuts that would have to be made if new revenue wasn't found. montgomery county alone would lose about $122 million. and prince george's county, nearly $100 million. education would be the hardest hit with more than $350 million in proposed cuts. some lawmakers say the doomsday budget is an attempt to pressure wavering democrats into accepting unwanted tax hikes. >>> a big announcement from apple today. the company expected to unveil its latest edition of the ipad. apple has already sold 55 million of the compact computers to date. some analysts say apple could sell that many this year alone with the upgraded model. experts anticipate that new version will have an updated display screen, much like the screen on apple's iphone 4. >> the higher resolution screen is one of the things that could really add to the oomph, add to the way videos work. >> that mean the little dots that make up the picture will be a lot smaller to the point that you may not even perceive them. the picture will look more l

mike miller was not among them. the state budget is moving on to the house of delegates. the senate approved a spending package. middle-class families will pay anywhere from $40 to $65 a year more. the plan shifts the combined cost of teacher pensions and social security to local jurisdictions. differences between the senate and house plans will have to be worked out in conference committee. >> personal taxes are due one month from tomorrow. the irs is offering some relief. unemployment tax payers will have a six-month grace period. you must have been out of a job for 30 consecutive days to be eligible. if you qualify, you still have to file by april 17. >> it is in the best interests of the government to make things easier for taxpayers to pay their fair share. programs like this should help. >> the new provisions included changes to those who qualified for installment payments for their tax bills. president obama and vice president biden officially begin their push this week for reelection. tracie potts has the latest. >> mitt romney, rick santorum, and newt gingrich. t

mike miller once slots and table games at rosecroft raceway. one casino already in the works is starting to fill up. the first 100 slot machines arrived at the casino on wednesday. nearly 5000 machines in all as well as electronic table games. the grand opening is slated for june. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. how often, if at all, do you plan on visiting the slots parlor at arundel mills? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> it is back to the campaign trail for the men looking to be the republican nominee for president. the candidates are looking towards the next round of upcoming races. tara mergener joins us live with our report. good morning. >> good morning. at this point, this is essentially a two-man race. rick santorum was onto puerto rico. after surprise wins in alabama and mississippi, the former pennsylvania senator is scoffing at the claim he needs an impossible number of delegates to take the lead. >> it is pretty bad when al

senate president mike miller...noo enougg votes. (miller) "it's going to have to happen.ring this term becauue the proposal to iicrease maryland's gasoline tax is a separate bill, llgislative leaderr say that will nno bb considdredduntill pfter the house and senate give final approoal to the sttte's operatiig buuget." lawmakers say there's scalilng back tax deductionn on mortgage interest...for thooe earnnng more than 100- thousand.if eeactedd..it wouud raise more thaa 100-million dollars. (miller) "we're pooking at other sources of revenue rathhr thhn taking away people'' deeuctionn that thee've become used to." republicans...say they'd like budget. (smigiel) ""o when yu hear that we've cut the budget, all we've done is cuu the projected growwh, we till grow, we grew a billion dollars last year."(gooernor) "but if we do it all with cuts, i thinn we do a disservice to one another and we're doong a disservice to is finally enacted...some lawmakers admit...many marylanders will wind up paying more. in annapolis, ten. rydell, fox 45 news at tell laamakers what ou ttink about

mike miller wants them at the raceway. >> coming up, it is being called one of the did list -- the latest highway accidents in switzerland history. >> nearly two dozen people dead, nearly all of them children. a ski trip that turned tragic. >> new questions tonight for a maryland lawmaker already facing two criminal indictments. this time it is about her driving privilege. that story at 6:00. >> a jury found you diversity -- at virginia tech university necklet in not telling students soon enough. two students were killed in the dorm room and went on to kill 30 more people including areas peterson and julia pride whose families sued the school. in a written statement, the spokesperson said police in the administrator did their best with information available on april 16, 2007. >> police have one man in custody after the the courthouse shooting in southeast texas. the suspect opened fire in beaumont, texas. the suspect was going to court with family members when he began shooting. one person was killed. the suspect and another person were also wounded. rod blagojevich has one more night at

senate president mike miller says he would prefer to wait until gas prices dropped for proposing a gas. >> the walt disney company is looking to recruit our military. >> furniture sales are booming as the economy recovers. let's take a morning again to linda bell in new york with details. >> good morning. more americans are stretching out on a brand new bedstands of us as they settle into their new homes -- new beds and sofas. ethan allen is planning to open design centers. a wild card in all of this is rising gas prices. we spoke with an economist. he tells us that higher prices at the gas, may start to dissuade consumers from expense of discretionary purchases. walt disney will provided least 1000 jobs and career opportunities for military veterans returning home from duty over the next three years. this is part of a new company wide initiative called heroes work here, to help veterans adjust back to civilian life. burger king has a promotion this weekend. free french fries, no purchase necessary, at participating restaurants. they have new french fries and they're giving them a way

month ago but the governor says he needs to raise the taxes but aaa says now is not the time and mike miller having a special session later. >> police are offering $25,000 for any information into the disappearance of kelly rothwell, friends say they last saw her when she was on her way to break up with her boyfriend. >>> a collaboration between police and professionals led police to 19-year-old al alexander song, they were able to track him down three through ip address, he faces charges that carry a maximum of six months in jail at this point. >>> she was killed when she was, >>> what do you do in the basement? you're not cleepg it. >> you're right. i don't. did you get the wood glue? >> what are you talking about? >> i left a note on the kitchen counter. >> i haven't been upstairs. >> one of the shutters is broken on the pantry. >> i'm busy. >> all i want for my birthday is for you to get off that couch, go to the -- you come home, fix the shutter. before i get home or you're going to find someplace else to live. >> fine. >> fine. >> good. you got it? do you understand? >> yes, mom. okay.

mike miller, the senate pltd -- president said has said, they may have to eliminate some 500 positions if they don't get state funding. >> tough decisions have to be made. the governor is also proposing a tax on internet sales. >>> the orioles start their spring taining games today with an eye towardsinding a long streak of losing seasons. sports director mark vaifiono -- viviano is with the team. >> reporter: well, there is sun here in sarasota, and that is symbolic of the optimism that every team feels during spring training. but for some o's fans, the hope of the coming season may be hard to see. blocked by a dark cloud of many losing seasons. 14 straight seasons, without a winning record. it is the second longest losing streak in all of pro sports. only the pittsburgh pirates have suffered longer. but for these orioles, the past cannot be part of the preparation for 2012. they're looking ahead, with a positive perspective. >> it's a new year. anything can happen. it's not good to look just on the negative stuff. you have to look to the future. and hopefully we can put a good season

mike miller, a fellow democrat says there isn't a lot of support for the hike in his party and republicans have opposed the whole thing from the start. >>> a federal grand jury wants to find out more about relationships between some d.c. elected officials and businessman jeff thompson. federal agents raided his home and offices earlier this month. we've learned that council members jack evans and another member were subpoenaed in the case. >> there may be ten and the serial numbers are all running the same sequence. >> reporter: meaning they were probably bought at the same time? >> the same time. however, the name may have been from georgia. so that would raise a suspicion. > reporter: you're talking about fraud here? >> i'm not going to make that determination. >> council members who received campaign contributions from jeff thompson say they are reexamining their records. >>> at 6:05, we focus on the race for the republican nomination. it's a southern sweep for rick santorum. he won tuesday's contest in alabama and mississippi so the question is will newt gingrich stay in and will mitt

senate president mike miller says it is unlikely the general assembly will pass a gas tax hike this session. he suggests a special session later. drivers hope to put the brakes on the gas tax hike permanently. >> extra 6% we can't afford that. we can't afford these high gas prices as it is. >> and the governor wants to raise the gas tax 2% each year for the next three years. and that could raise the price of gas by 20 cents. >> thank you very much, monique, the last time taxes on gas were raised here was 1992. >>> maryland state police shoot a man after he points a fake gun at them. it happened yesterday when they tried to arrest christopher thomas outside of his home in northeast in cecil county. they say he pointed a gun at troopers and they shot him in the leg. thomas is wanted on warrants from several different police departments. >>> we are also learning more this morning about a murder in baltimore county. police have charged 54-year-old james heywood with killing his girlfriend's son. detectives say heywood used a sword like weapon to stab 28- year-old andrew fisher to death inside a

according to our media partner, senate president mike miller says curry is no longer serving on the rules or executive commission committee. a jury found currie not guilty. but he was censured by fellow state senators because he did not disclose income he made for his work. >>> a mysterious change in leadership for a maryland university. tonight, wjz continues to dig into why the president of umuc was abruptly removed without explanation. wjz stays on the story. derek valcourt is live, looking for answers. derek? >> reporter: well, even though no one will say why the umbc president has been placed on leave, wjz has learned that she is still collecting a paycheck. >> welcome to the university of maryland, university college. >> reporter: susan aldridge is considered a leader. since 2006, she has been president of umuc, headquarter the in college park. the school claims to be the world's fastest-growing virtual campus. >> we are now the largest state university with 94,000 students. >> reporter: but in a stunning announcement last week, the head of maryland's system, chancellor william kerw

. >> mike miller is at san quentin for commercial burglary.e's got roughly eight months left to serve. >> i think the birds is a good way of releasing a lot of tension and anger. before i got arrested, my girlfriend used to chase the birds away. she didn't want me around them. and so, now i'm in here, i have a chance to mingle with the birds. and basically, that's about the only friends i've got are birds. you know, i can't trust anybody else. >> this is the mental health unit at san quentin's infirmary. the inmates who are housed here generally don't have the survival skills needed in prison. susan downs, a prison psychiatrist for more than four years, comes here every day to see her patients. a pretty volatile group. she always maintains a safe distance from them, even with a solid steel door between them. >> i have to wear a vest because there was one psychiatrist, they tried to kill her. they grabbed her when she got near the cell port and tried to stab something into her. okay. so just going to be -- just want to check in, see how you're

. >> senate president mike miller says the bill is on the back runner for now and may not be taken up until later on in the session. >>> some backtracking from rush limbaugh after he called a georgetown law student a. he made the comments after sandra flug testified before congress about the need for affordable contraception. in cells called several advertisers to pull their sponsorships. the radio show host says he chose the wrong words and his comments did not intend to personally attack. >>> a man who took one of america's most iconic photographs has passed away. now that people who knew him best open up about how those pictures changed his life. mike shue has the story. >> reporter: it's precisely 9:30 at chicken roost deli. originally darted some two decades ago, usually in this crowd photographers stand stern. >> we are here to discuss the life of stan stern. >> sam senior made a bit of news himself. >> the person that took the photo of john john kennedy saluting his dad's coffin when he rode by. >> this image, the only photographer to catch one of the most briefest yet most pow

senate president mike miller says he thinks the bill is unlikely topaz this session. though even gas tax opponent says road increases are important. >> we need to raise money. but i'm not sure this is the right way to do it. >> reporter: the senate president say fist gas taxes go back down later this year, he says the gas tax increase might likely have a better chance of passing during a special session. but governor o'malley is pushing ahead, asking lawmakers to get the tax increase through this session. derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> all right. thank you very much, derek. maryland's current gas tax of 23.5 cents per gallon was set in 1992. >>> virginia tech will pay the price for a deadly massacre on campus. gigi barnett has more on the payout to some. >> reporter: a jury just decided this afternoon that virginia tech is negligent for the shooting rampage on campus. the school waited 2 1/2 hours to warn students about a gunman during a shooting back in 2007. seung-hui cho killed people before taking his own life. the victims' families say more lives could h

the senate president mike miller says it might be better to hold a special session to give gas prices a chance to drop before any taxes are considered. miller also wonders if lawmakers actually have an appetite to discuss an increase when they have to debate over taxes in the state budget. >>> 5:35. time for another your money report. >> jessica is back. when it comes to paying credit card debt, she has some advice. >> that's right. who wouldn't want to lower your credit card debt, right? it's the holy grail. we all want to do that. transferring a balance to a card with a lower interest rate is one option for you, but you're definitely going to want to read the fine print. here's some pros and cons. >> reporter: transferring a credit card balance to a card with lower interest or zero interest can be one option to help make a bigger dent in debt. but balance transfer offers are usually for a temporary period. so read the terms carefully and know the go-to rate when an offer expires. >> that's the interest rate you'll have to pay on any balance that you have left. you need to be sure th

it is a commuter tax and as mike miller said about prince george's county casinos, people don't like increases, this is a user tax. so they're not going to moniker it as such, but that's what it. is. >> and then to keep the bars open later, i mean nothing good happens at 3 a.m. in the morning. >> i just got off the phone with jack evans in ward 2 who has georgetown and foggy bottom and he's against it because he knows he'll catch hell from his neighborhood that live in that area and, of course, jim graham, you quoted in the piece that matt did and you have kwame brown, the city council chairman. so i don't think the votes are there and they even doubt the revenue estimates of $5 million. the budget is 9.4 billion you're trying to raise 5 million all you need is one horrific episode happening at 3:30 when they want to increase it from 2:00 to 4:00 and i think that will be the end of that. >> the flip side to all this, on the spending side there's a report the mayor wants to reimburse city employees for their furlough times. it seemed like the did he had just turned that page. >> yeah.

state senate president mike miller drew a district. it's now 6-2 democrats. they wanted to increase it democratic 7-1. they drew the district for garagiola, but delaney has been dorised by president clinton and governor o'malley has endorsed guy somewhere i omaha. whoever wins that strict will probably face 80 -- garagiola. whoever wins that district will probably face bartlett. >> let's bring it pack to d.c. it seems like the -- back to d.c. it seems like the forgotten primary. romney barely even campaigned here. talk a little bit what's at stake here in d.c. >> with d.c. it's winner take all. so romney is expected. it's a perfect state for him. there are three things in life, death, taxes and d.c. will go democratic. so nobody in their right mind would say that romney is going to win in november, but he very well might win all the delegates. he will win all the delegates probably in d.c. because it's winner take all. the most closely watched race in d.c. will be the at large race, vincent orange, the incumbent being challenged by saco biddle, and peter shap

then the full house would have to vote before it becomes law interestingly enough senate president mike millerhas said he would prefer to wait until gas prices go down and perhaps tackle this gas tax issue in a special session, so we will see. >> yeah, the question is when will they go down that is what everybody wants to know. we appreciate it thanks so much. >>> well, it is down to the top 11 on american idol find out why producers sent germaine jones home. >>> contestants hoping to make it to top 10 battled it out last night singing songs from the year they were born. >> oh, boy. >> yeah. >> do we want to know what they were. >> shocking to someone like me >> find out who stole the night, time for idol chatter after the break. 9:08 a.m.  okay, people, let's s get start. pete, did you forget yours? me pete, me use pen! (laughter) sorry i'm late, i was in the 16th century looking for pete's pen. (laughter) guys, guys. take it easy, ok? pete's mom is videochatting me, and she wants her pen back! ok, alright, well. i just got one. so... yeah, you've got a little... yep, i

the senate president mike miller is clearly behind this and the fact he wants it bodes well in the senate and the 10-2 vote in the committee. no idea how it's going to do in the house. the other five casinos or slots parlors, the question is how are they going to like the fact that the new one is coming in the mix and they have sweetened the deal. previously, the five parlors got to keep 33% of their mean. if everyone goes along with that par losh they get to keep 40% of the mean. the stay figures they'll come out ahead because they expecting a lot of people from d.c. and virginia. remember, voters must say yes and voters in prince georges must also say yes. brian? >> all right, john. >>> and free speech versus consumer protection. a federal appeals court in richmond heard arguments in the case to decide whether antiabortion counseling centers must post signs to say they don't provide medical services. prosecutors in montgomery expo and baltimore county brought the suit saying they're giving out medical advice without a license. the center officials say posting them to post a sign outside

. >> maryland's senate president mike miller says the gas tax hike is on the back burner right now. it may not be taken up until right before the legislative session ends which is next month. >>> the time right now is 6:07. in five minutes the latest on the devastating tornadoes in the midwest and south. fema will begin counting up the damage today. >>> howard says guess what? we could see some snow flakes. it is still winter after all. nothing too big. he called it conversational snow. your weather first coming up right here on 9news now. >>> good morning. this is meteorologist howard bernstein. a cold day today with even some light snow or snow showers as a clipper moves across the region. with highs getting into the low maybe mid-40s, accumulations will be mainly grassy surfaces well south of town. here in d.c. should mostly melt on contact. i'll have the full seven-day forecast coming up in just a few minutes. >>> we're going to take a look at the beltway outer loop side leaving the 95 interchange past new hampshire avenue to university boulevard where a five-car accident sits o

senate president mike miller prepared a doomsday budget to reflect more than $700 million in cuts.ade if new revenue was not found. montgomery county alone would lose about $122 million. and prince george's county could lose nearly $100 million. education would be the hardest hit with more than $350 million in proposed cuts. some lawmakers say the doomsday budget is an attempt to pressure wavering democrats into accepting unwanted tax hikes. >>> if you live in fairfax county, you could be about to pay more in taxes on your home. the county's board of supervisors just agreed to consider raising the property tax rate by a penny. the new rate would be $1.08 per $100 of assessed value. that would mean the average homeowner would pay about $34 a year more in property taxes. the increase would generate about $20 million for fairfax county. >>> if you have extra cash laying around, you can own a piece of americana that once called northeast d.c. home. the capital city diner is up for sale on ebay. the diner closed in late january. we just checked, and so far, there's only one bid. that on

you see senate president mike miller and also speaker bush. right there.he support is obviously behind him. as you know, this battle according to opponents of the same-sex marriage bill is not over. they want to take this matter to a referendum before voters. we will see if they get the petitions to do that. but once again, governor martin o'malley has signed this. maryland becomes the 8th state in the nation to sign such a bill into law. >>> the battle over contraceptives and insurance plays out today. democrats have defeated an effort to knock down part of president obama's healthcare reform at. >> 48, the motion to table is agreed to. >> reporter: the senate keeps the senate birth control coverage in president obama's healthcare reform law. lawmakers rejected a law that would have given insurers the opt to pay if employers reject on religious or moral grounds. >> if you are of faith that something is absolutely wrong, as an employer, why would you want to pay for that? >> reporter: but democrats claim that the amendment would, in effect, allow insurers

but with rising gas prices, senate president, mike miller says that will make it harder to increase thegas tax increase because it's an appropriations - bill.if you oppose the proposal... let your lawmakers knnw ow.americans for prosperitt begaa a peeition ... to finddthe link to hat... and see more stories on the proposed gas tax increase..go to fox balitmmre dot com ...and lick on "maryllad gas tax" under "hot topics." 3 when it comes to saving on gas ... some of the tings you've heard aae true... some are not.it'sstrue regular tune uus can save you gas money... as well as accelerating slowly. but if you heard turning on your air condiiioner áwastesá gas... hat is falsee 3 no. myth. because when you hhve the wiiddws doon that puts more drag on the vehicle. tte way tte newer vehicles are sst up these dayssthe air conditioner is actually more ef. those gas additives won't help fox45's pump patrol is lways looking for the lowest gas prices where you live. to see whaa we found... log onto fox bbliimore doo com and cliik on the pump patrol logo.. the owner of the jersee... where whitney ne

we are you, and you are us. >> joining me is mike vicara and david miller. lemen, good to have you here. mike, i want to start with you. you were inside that room. explain the energy between these two leaders. what was it like? as we all know, it's been tense in the past. >> absolutely. they have had a rocky relationship, as i'm sure david miller will tell you. it's the ninth face to face meeting between the two leaders. the last time the prime minister lectured president obama in public on the history of the israeli and palestinian conflict. i was inside the room. it's hard to discern a mood when it's packed with reporters jostling and the two men are making statements to cameras. it's hard to overstate the stakes that are involved here, thomas. a lot of people are talking as if when, and not a question if, israel is going to strike those nuclear sites. you heard the president there ask for more diplomacy. he made the big speech yesterday. he stands behind israel. he said i have israel's back and there's no question about the fact that all options are on the