Kurtz: Legislative Priorities and Political Imperatives Collide in This Winter of Our Discontent

As the June 28 primaries get closer — unless they are pushed back, a distinct possibility — you can feel the tension rising among Democrats and Republicans in Annapolis and across the state. Both parties have a lot to worry about. There’s always plenty of tension at this stage of the legislative session: This is the time of year when bills are being killed right and left. But this year, there is an extra layer of fretting, as the fates of bills — and individual lawmakers’ votes on them — become linked in certain cases to the members’ electoral fortunes. That’s especially worrisome for the Democrats, as we’ll soon see.