Flurry of bills comes as Friday deadline passes

Friday marked the last day for state lawmakers to introduce legislation they hope to vote on this session. The final list of bills ranges from issues like gay marriage and illegal immigration - which impact most Marylanders - to designating a state dessert - which, of course, is … important … as well.

Here's a list of some of the bills, serious and otherwise, to keep an eye on in the coming months:

- Some legislators who may have skipped lunch wrote up a sweet bill for bakers in the Chesapeake Bay area. The bill asks that the Smith Island cake be designated the official state dessert.

- Several gay marriage bills were introduced in the Senate and House of Delegates. One Senate bill would overturn wording in a current law that states only a man and a woman can be married, allowing more freedom for future laws to determine who can be married. However, another Senate bill would tighten the current law, stating that only a man and a woman can be married and that any other marriage is not valid in the state.

- The House wants to create a permit for people who want to teach a home brewing class. Freshmen and sophomores shouldn't get too excited, though - only those of age will be allowed to attend the classes.

- A Senate bill aims to steeply raise alcohol taxes. According to the bill synopsis, it would increase the taxes "from $1.50 to $4.50 per gallon for distilled spirits, from 40 cents to $1.20 per gallon for wine, and from 9 cents to 54 cents per gallon for beer."

- Milk crate buyers beware: if you buy five or more plastic milk crates, you and the crate seller will need to verify one another's identity, keep records of the transaction and hold onto the records for at least one year. Punishment for failing to adhere to these rules, if approved: a $100 fine.

- College Park's drive-through liquor store might be one of the last of its kind; a Senate bill wants to prohibit Prince George's County from issuing alcohol serving licenses to drive-through stores.

- The House, perhaps after a meeting with rebellious kindergartners, wants to regulate time-outs. One of its bills would force teachers to provide details and rationales for their time-out procedures, to be made available to mommies, daddies and state officials.

- About half a dozen bills would make computer services - such as installation, repairs and upgrades - tax-exempt.

- Students ambling through the campus could be simultaneously showing their state pride. Lawmakers want to make walking the official state exercise, even though a similar bill was passed in 2003 but vetoed by then-Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R).

- Lawmakers in both the Senate and the House want to establish a task force that would determine how much illegal immigrants living in Maryland cost the state.

- Students buying kegs could have to start providing their driver's license number before being allowed to leave the store, pending a Senate vote.

- In case you had any inclination to dig a well, the equipment you need to do so might soon be tax-exempt.

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