Gov. O'Malley Delivers His Final State Of The State Address

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Governor O'Malley's farewell State of the State address takes Marylanders through the past seven years of his administration.

Political reporter Pat Warren has more on what he highlighted in his legacy.

The governor says the O'Malley-Brown Administration has made tremendous progress for the state.

The State of the State address is a nostalgic one for Governor O'Malley.

"It has been a tremendous and humbling honor to have been able to serve the people of our state through difficult and important days," the governor said.

Those days include repeal of the death penalty in Maryland, adoption of some of the strictest gun laws in the country, a signature move toward building an off-shore wind farm and more.

"We passed the Dream Act here in Maryland. We passed marriage equality," O'Malley said.

This year, the governor expects to add a pay raise for minimum wage workers and he's proposed a budget expected to support 48,000 jobs.

"Not only is Maryland stronger than before, Maryland is cleaner, smarter, safer, healthier, more entrepreneurial, more competitive than she was before the recession hit," said O'Malley.

Not everyone would agree.

"Rural Maryland's been harmed by his policies. The rain tax, the jobs programs that he hasn't had," said Sen. David Brinkley, Senate Minority Leader.

But from one former Democrat governor to a soon-to-be another...

"I think Martin O'Malley really has done a good job," said former Md. governor Parris Glendening.

"I can report to you that the state of our state is strong, and is growing stronger by the day," O'Malley said.

The governor did note that the health exchange was a failure, but added that his administration hasn't always succeeded on the first try. It just never gives up.

The Pew Foundation has ranked Maryland one of the top three states for economic upward mobility.

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