By: Nicholas Sohr

Normally the final minutes of Maryland legislative sessions sound something like a speed reading contest between the Senate President and Speaker of the House.

With hundreds of bills to push through in the final day and never enough time to get to them all, they take them up rapid fire, repeating a barely understandable string of standard commands. It goes something like: “House bill 272 is on second reading, all in favor say aye, those opposed, say nay, the bill is ordered printed for third reading, motion to suspend the rules for two readings in one day, all in favor say aye those opposed say nay, motion is adopted, House bill 272 is on third reading for final passage, the clerk will take the call …”

This is done dozens of time, up until midnight, when they’re legally required to stop and take nine months off to recover. Or at least they usually go right up until midnight.

The House of Delegates on Monday found itself without legislation for most of the final 10 minutes. Not one to upset tradition, Speaker Mike Busch — a record-setting running back at Temple University — found ways to run out the clock.

They thanked their committee staffers and the speaker’s staff. They thanked the state troopers who guard the chamber, one by one. The bomb-sniffing dog, who drew the loudest applause. The amendment drafters. The legislative budget and policy analysts.

Then they took a quick break to pass an update to toughen the sex offender restrictions in Jessica’s Law.

And then back to the introductions – a delegate’s intern. A husband. A wife. A delegate’s intern and his girlfriend. At some point, the Baltimore County delegation launched a remote control helicopter from their territory on the House floor.

Finally – mercifully for some – the digital clocks on the chamber’s voting boards struck midnight, and Busch’s gavel hammered home for the last time in 2010.

“”I wish you all a safe and happy interim, and I hope to see you all next year,” he said.