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Gov. Martin O’Malley’s State of the State address Wednesday was heavy on calls for new revenue and subsequently drew fire from opponents.

But although some say the initiatives, such as an expanded sales tax on gasoline, are a miscalculation, others say O’Malley’s ambitious agenda could position him as a national figure.

“He seems to be going against the tide of other states, where they’re trying to make do with what they have,” said John Bambacus, professor emeritus of political science at Frostburg State University.

O’Malley’s agenda, encompassing social issues such as same-sex marriage and land-use policy, is the most ambitious he has set in six years, Bambacus said. What some might see as unnecessary risks, others view as a progressive governor doing what he believes is best for the state, he said.

Other states will be looking to Maryland to see if O’Malley’s approach is successful, and the next 60 to 70 days will reveal if it is working or not, Bambacus said.

The governor’s agenda also might be influenced by his rumored desire to run for national office when his term expires, said Todd Eberly, professor of political science at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

If so, he’s likely to face competition from other governors, such as Andrew Cuomo of New York, and may be looking to enhance his national profile, Eberly said.

One of Cuomo’s most significant accomplishments was pushing a bill allowing same-sex marriage through New York’s Republican-controlled Senate, Eberly said.

This session, situated between election cycles, affords O’Malley the best chance for support of his initiatives, because lawmakers are less likely to be driven by their own re-election concerns, he said.

In Wednesday’s address, just more than 30 minutes in length, O’Malley framed his agenda by asking lawmakers to make the tough choices he feels are necessary to create jobs.

Among those choices is the 6 percent sales tax on gasoline, to be phased in over three years, which O’Malley said would generate 7,500 jobs to improve transportation infrastructure.

“I know that every family is still feeling the hurt of this recession,” O’Malley said, adding that although it was a very difficult request, “nobody else is going to do this for us.”

Maryland also faces a $1.1 billion deficit, and the proposed budget contains $800 million in spending cuts and reductions, according to O’Malley, a claim that failed to convince Republican leadership.

“This idea that the governor has cut spending is nothing more than a myth,” said Senate Minority Leader E.J. Pipkin (R-Dist. 36) of Elkton after the speech. O’Malley’s proposed $35.8 billion budget was $1 billion larger than the previous year’s, Pipkin said.

Furthermore, O’Malley’s proposal contains a number of tax increases, including applying the sales tax to Internet transactions, Pipkin said. “[O’Malley’s] hurting job creation in the state with those very taxes,” he said.

Furthermore, the Internet sales tax would be difficult to enforce and likely would yield far less than the $26 million estimated by state officials, according to Joseph Bailey, professor of information management at the University of Maryland, College Park.

House Minority Leader Anthony O’Donnell (R-Dist. 29C) of Lusby, called O’Malley’s budget “a jobs killer.”

The new taxes, as well as the elimination of income tax exemptions for those earning more than $100,000 per year, were akin to “kicking the families of Maryland while they’re down,” O’Donnell said.

Bambacus compared the disagreements about the budget plan to a philosophical joust between those who believe taxes create jobs and those who feel taxes hurt jobs.

“The governor is really rolling the dice on this budget,” Bambacus said. “If anyone can do it, it’s him.”

Democratic leadership said the governor’s plan was ambitious but not unworkable.

“These are very bold initiatives,” said Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach. “The governor’s going to have a lot of convincing to do.”

Miller said the gas-tax hike was feasible, but he wasn’t certain it would pass in its current form.

House Speaker Michael Busch (D-Dist. 30) of Annapolis said he thought the State of the State speech was well received by House members.

“Everybody realizes there’s a lot of challenges in front of the state,” Busch said.

“There’s no easy way to come up with the transportation revenue, but you can’t just push it all to the next set of elected leaders.”

dleaderman@gazette.net