Baker returns to Annapolis to fight for Prince George's — this time as county executive - Baltimore Sun

Now, even as he tries to repair the image of Maryland's second-most-populous county, Baker is playing a high-profile role in Annapolis on key issues before the General Assembly.

Last week, he changed the debate on gambling by declaring that he wants a billion-dollar, waterfront casino in Prince George's, complete with table games. He's in the thick of the fight to block the governor's plan to shift $239 million in teacher pension costs to local governments next year.

And Baker, a Democrat, could play a pivotal role on gasoline taxes and the rules for local contributions to schools, among other issues. Virtually every item on Gov. Martin O'Malley's ambitious 2012 agenda needs the votes of the solidly Democratic Prince George's delegation to have a shot at passage.