O'Malley delays signing 'alcopop' billGov. Martin O'Malley has put off signing a bill that would allow so-called "alcopops" -- fruity libations such as Mike's Hard Lemonade -- to continue to be taxed and distributed as if they were beer, saying he needs more time to think about the measure.
The law, which passed by wide margins in both legislative chambers, is controversial because activists, such as the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving, believe the drinks are marketed to underage drinkers and that the broader distribution and lower taxes they have traditionally enjoyed in Maryland make them more available to teenagers.
O'Malley met this morning with the CEO of MADD, leaders of several state and national public health organizations and several parents in Maryland whose children have been killed recently in drunk driving incidents, all of whom urged him to veto the bill, which he said today that he had planned on signing.
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