Ehrlich Calls Bill Silly
Although that same day the governor named the thoroughbred as the state horse, and previously as a legislator supported naming a state fossil and a state folk dance, he said the veto of walking as the state exercise heralded an end to "silly bills."Another excuse of the governors office was that walking is not strictly indigenous to Maryland and predates the state and colony. However, Maryland designated jousting as their state sport in 1962, despite it predating the colony and not being a major participatory or spectator sport in the modern era.
The veto clearly shows that the governor needs to be educated about the public health benefits of walking, which is the most popular exercise in the state of Maryland as it is nationwide. Promotion of walking would assist the state in controlling health care costs and improving the health of its citizens. Maryland, as with all states, is battling high health care costs. Groups including the Maryland Volkssport Association and Virginia Volkssport Association and the school children who sponsored the bill were greatly upset and urging an override of the veto.
