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Latest Maryland Regional News
March 19, 2010 - BALTIMORE (AP) A Navy hospital ship returns home to Baltimore today after a two-month mission to earthquake-stricken Haiti. The Navy says the USNS Comfort will arrive at Canton Pier at 10 a.m. The nearly 900-foot floating hospital left Baltimore Jan. 16 and began treating patients off the coast of Port-au-Prince four days later.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland's official song may include a line about ``Northern scum'' left over from the Civil War era, but the state isn't feeling so Southern anymore. These days, leaders feel they've got more in common with states to the north. Lawmakers successfully petitioned to move from the Southern Region of the Council of State Governments to the Eastern Region.
BALTIMORE (AP) Charles John ``Chick'' Lang, the longtime head of Pimlico Race Course who helped make the Preakness a must-watch for sports fans around the country, has died. He was 83.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
MarylandReporter.com State Roundup March 19, 2010
March 19, 2010 - From the Maryland Reporter website:
CHELTENHAM The superintendent of the Cheltenham youth detention center has been demoted, two staffers have been fired, and others are suspended after the Department of Juvenile Services found security lapses that led to the death of a teacher at the facility, Peter Hermann writes in The Baltimore Sun. Mary Pat Flaherty has the story for The Washington Post, and Zoe Tillman writes for The Gazette. Kathleen Cairns has video for WBFF.
BUDGET The Senate budget committee put off decisions on $60 million in local school aid Thursday, but lawmakers made many controversial decisions about tax credits, environmental programs and life science research, Andy Rosen writes for MarylandReporter.com. Alan Brody and Erin Cunningham with The Gazette writes that lawmakers have split into two camps over the budget. Some want to make minimal cuts and wait out the economy, while others want to fix what they see as long-term problems now.
WAGE REQUIREMENTS A bill would set wage requirements for employees of companies that get more than $250,000 from the state in projects or development at 130 percent of the minimum wage, Nick Sohr reports for The Daily Record. But business groups blasted it, saying it would make state economic development funds "worthless."
GAMBLING The Senate got into a debate over whether to legalize card games at race tracks around the state, as a lawmaker sought to amend Senate President Mike Miller’s plan to put cards at Rosecroft Raceway in Prince George’s County. John Wagner has the story at the Post. Here’s Annie Linskey’s take from The Sun’s Maryland Politics blog.
SHORE FACILITY EPA officials are recommending further study of a controversial State Department security facility on the Eastern Shore, likely delaying construction into next year, Paul West writes for The Sun. A letter from the agency last week raised the question whether the project "may adversely affect the aquatic and terrestrial environment."
MEDICAL WEED State lawmakers are considering a plan to legalize medical marijuana for patients with "debilitating" illnesses, Hayley Peterson writes for the Washington Examiner. If enacted, supporters say the bill would be much tougher on marijuana distribution than the state law concerning narcotics like oxycontin.
FORECLOSURES Maryland had the 10th-highest foreclosure rate in the country last month, and officials are pushing hard for a bill that would require lenders to work with borrowers to fix loans before they move to seize property. Kevin James Shay has the story for The Gazette.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS Lawmakers have filed 38 bills to change the state constitution, Alan Brody writes for The Gazette. That’s a lot even in an election year, when changes approved by the legislature can appear on the ballot.
WAXTER CENTER The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony Thursday on a bill that would close Laurel's state-run Thomas J.S. Waxter Center for female juvenile offenders, Shauna Miller reports for Capital News Service.
SEX OFFENDERS Robert Lang has a roundup of bills that the House Judiciary Committee voted on Thursday evening. The panel approved increasing the sentence for second degree rape and sex offense involving a victim under 13, but rejected a bill that would have imposed the death penalty for the murder of a child who was sexually assaulted.
The sheer volume of bills to strengthen sex offender laws has one senator concerned. Sen. Brian Frosh, who heads the Judicial Proceedings Committee, is worried that too many changes could confuse the law, Sean Sedam writes for The Gazette.
WATER-BILL FORECLOSURES Sen. Jim Brochin was trying to pass a bill to make it harder for counties to seize properties over delinquent water debt, but the bill was postponed indefinitely on the Senate floor, Nick DiMarco writes for MarylandReporter.com.
SCHOOL FUNDING Lawmakers are running low on time to pass changes to the state’s “maintenance of effort” school funding laws, which require local governments not to cut school funding under penalty of state aid reductions. Marcus Moore has the story for The Gazette.
NOT SO SOUTHERN Despite Maryland's position south of the Mason-Dixon Line, lawmakers successfully petitioned to move from the Southern Region of the Council of State Governments to the Eastern Region, Brian Witte writes for the Associated Press.
WEALTH SHIFT Erin Cunningham at The Gazette highlights a report that shows Baltimore City and Washington, D.C. residents are becoming richer on average, well classically wealthy jurisdictions like Baltimore and Montgomery counties are getting poorer.
PRIMARY DATE The recently enacted federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act requiring that service members receive absentee ballots at least 45 days before the November election could prove problematic for Maryland's traditional September primary date, Tim Craig writes for The Post.
SUNSHINE Sunshine Week, which focuses on open government, is drawing to a close. Blair Lee writes in his Gazette column about some recent failings of transparency, highlighting a recent court decision in Baltimore City.
DISTRACTED DRIVING David Collins has a video report on the recent Senate debate on distracted driving. Floor action has been delayed twice this week.
WINE Although the fate of a proposal to legalize direct shipment of wine from winery to consumer remains uncertain, supporters have a backup plan in a proposal to study wine-shipping practices in other states, Nick Sohr writes in The Daily Record. After the study, they can revisit the issue next year.
EHRLICH Democrats are calling for an inquiry into whether former Gov. Bob Ehrlich’s Baltimore office has served as a “de facto campaign headquarters,” Margie Hyslop writes for The Gazette. Julie Bykowicz has more from The Sun blog.
REREG Sens. Jim Rosapepe and E.J. Pipkin are pushing for a plan to re-regulate the state electricity market, Nancy Royden writes in the Prince George's Sentinel. The Retail Energy Supply Association has entered testimony in support of the legislation, while BGE says competition among energy providers is increasing.
BALANCE BILLING A bill that would take patients out of health care billing procedures may also banish the practice of out-of-network doctors charging their patients the balance of the charge not covered by the insurer, Scott Graham writes for the Baltimore Business Journal.
LEGAL SERVICES Both chambers of the General Assembly have signed off on a bill that would raise civil filing fees to help poor people get legal services, Julie Bykowicz reports for The Sun’s blog.
UNION FEES Del. Chris Shank advocated for his bill blocking a potential requirement for state employees to pay union service fees, Erin Julius reports in The (Hagerstown) Herald-Mail. The bill would strip provisions passed last year allowing the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees to put a service fee in the contract between the state and employees. But AFSCME said it wouldn't try to implement the service fees amidst the recession.
MOONEY The race for the Republican primary for state senator in Frederick County is getting a lot more interesting, as newly appointed Del. Charles Jenkins is considering running against Sen. Alex Mooney in the September Republican primary, Meg Tully writes in The Frederick News-Post. His statement comes after Mooney sent a campaign mailing criticizing the process used to appoint Jenkins and touting his former aide Michael Hough, who is running for Jenkins's seat after being the runner-up for the appointment in January.
VALLARIO Barry Rascovar writes in his column for The Gazette that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Joseph Vallario’s reputation for allowing panel members to grill witnesses could cost him.
GUNS Laslo Boyd writes in his Gazette column that anger is evident in the emotional debate over gun laws in Annapolis.
MARCH MADNESS The NCAA men’s basketball tournament kicked off Thursday, and The Gazette’s Reporter’s Notebook is chock full of General Assembly basketball stories. Plus, did O’Malley forget about Morgan State?
"STIMULANTS" Another Reporter’s Notebook entry from The Gazette talks about one delegate’s idea to promote a proposed ban on sexual stimulants by handing out pills like “Stiff Nights.” The handouts were unfortunately-timed, however.
MILLIONAIRES' TAX The General Assembly is considering renewing the millionaires' tax, originally implemented in 2008, Scott Dance writes for the Baltimore Business Journal.
TRACKING DEVICES Del. Chris Shank's proposal to start a pilot program for placing GPS tracking devices on those who fail to comply with protective orders in Washington County may get a bit bigger if two Prince George's County delegates have their way, Erin Julius writes for The Herald-Mail. Dels. Victor Ramirez and Benjamin Barnes were interested in adding Prince George's County to the pilot program, given the much larger number of protective order cases in the urban county.
US Authorities Break Huge Counterfeit Goods Ring in Maryland
March 19, 2010 - BALTIMORE (AP) Nine people have been indicted on charges of smuggling 120,000 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes and half a million counterfeit Coach handbags through the Port of Baltimore.
According to the 72-count federal indictment announced Friday, undercover officers infiltrated the massive operation in 2008, delivering a shipment of 10,000 Nike shoes to Brooklyn, N.Y. The arrests came this week.
The products were mostly manufactured in Malaysia and China. Three U.S. citizens are charged with smuggling, trafficking counterfeit goods and money laundering. Four Chinese citizens and two Malaysians also are charged.
Officials say the investigation also led to the arrests Thursday of six men in London, in what authorities are calling one of their biggest counterfeit goods busts.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Latest Maryland Regional News
March 19, 2010 - ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland employers who hire jobless residents could be in line for a $5,000 tax credit under a bill passed today by the House. The Senate has already approved the measure and Gov. Martin O'Malley is expected to sign it into law.
BALTIMORE (AP) Nine people have been indicted on charges of smuggling 120,000 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes and half a million counterfeit Coach handbags through the Port of Baltimore. Authorities say undercover officers infiltrated the massive operation in 2008.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Some C & O Canal features still closed after flood
March 19, 2010 - HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) The National Park Service says some boat ramps and campgrounds along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal remain closed by debris from Potomac River flooding early in the week.
Rangers said Friday that nine boat ramps from Spring Gap in Allegany County to Edward's Ferry in Montgomery County are closed.
The Antietam Creek and McCoy's Ferry campgrounds are also closed, along with the Billy Goat Trail near Great Falls.
Park visitors should expect rough conditions along much of the towpath.
Ranger Peggie Gaul says the cost of repairs won't be known until at least next week. But she says the situation is better than in 1996, when two major floods caused $65 million in damage to the national historical park.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Maryland Senate Panel Votes to Cut 500 Jobs, Mostly Vacant
March 19, 2010 - ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) A Senate committee has approved cutting about 500 mostly vacant state jobs, and the panel moved ahead with a plan to start shifting some teacher pension costs to counties.
The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee made the decisions as it passed the panel's changes to Gov. Martin O'Malley's $13 billion budget on Friday.
The 500 job cuts would come from the executive branch.
The move will save about $11 million in fiscal year 2011.
As for pensions, the state now pays the entire cost. That would change by slowly having counties pick up more of the expense. In exchange, the state would pick up half the cost of Social Security, which is now paid entirely by counties.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Latest Maryland Regional News
March 18, 2010 - ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) A Maryland Senate committee has made sharp cuts to stem cell research and a fund to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay. The Senate budget committee voted to cut stem cell research funds by half, to $6.2 million, and also halve bay cleanup to $10 million.
ROSEDALE, Md. (AP) Baltimore County fire officials say a tanker truck hauling 2,600 gallons of diesel fuel has overturned, spilling its cargo and snarling Route 40 traffic. No injuries have been reported and hazmat crews are working to prevent the diesel from reaching nearby streams.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland's House has approved legislation intended to keep gang activity out of the state's schools. The measure would require educators and law enforcement to report the arrests of students for offenses that could be gang-related. It now goes to the Senate.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland Senators may amend a bill that originally proposed bringing new card games to one racetrack. Now the chamber says it may go a step further and expand card games to five additional locations but debate on the issue will continue Friday.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Transgender Woman Sues Under Law She Helped Write
March 18, 2010 - ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) A transgender aide to a Montgomery County councilwoman is suing the county for $5 million under an anti-discrimination law she helped write.
Dana Beyer, an adviser to Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenberg, helped draft a 2007 law that outlawed discrimination based on gender identity.
Now Beyer contends the county's ethics commission broke that law during an investigation of her.
Beyer was investigated by the commission after a complaint by a group that opposed the anti-discrimination law. The group said Beyer used her position to try to intimidate opponents of the bill who were gathering signatures.
Beyer filed the $5 million lawsuit in February.
County spokesman Patrick Lacefield says the county believes Beyer's claim has no merit and will ask a judge to dismiss it.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
MarylandReporter.com: State Roundup Mar. 18, 2010
March 18, 2010 - From the Maryland Reporter website:
SEX OFFENDERS The House of Delegates gave preliminary approval to two major bills concerning sex offenders, writes Annie Linskey for The Sun’s Maryland Politics blog. While bills passing through both the House and Senate are in place to strengthen sex offender laws, some are questioning if they are "tough enough," writes the Annapolis Capital’s Liam Farrell.
David Collins has a video report for WBAL-TV News. The House Judiciary Committee will vote on a bill Thursday that would impose a mandatory 20-year sentence on sex offenders, reports WBAL’s Robert Lang.
TAX BRACKET Maryland Chamber Action Network blogger Will Burns opposes the extension of a tax surcharge on incomes above $1 million.
TAX CREDIT Archbishop Edwin O’Brien is urging lawmakers to support a bill that would help financially strapped private schools with a tax credit given toward contributions. The Sun’s Arthur Hirsch has the story. The bill now awaits an uncertain fate in the House, according to Andy Rosen and Nick DiMarco for MarylandReporter.com.
DROPOUT According to this Associated Press story, posted by WMAR, the Senate voted to increase the age students are required to attend school to 18 years old.
STALLED The Environmental Protection Agency may have slowed construction on a security facility to be built on the Eastern Shore because it may "adversely affect the aquatic and terrestrial environment," according to Annie Linskey for The Sun’s Maryland Politics blog.
GAMBLING Annapolis Capital staff writer Allison Bourg says more trouble looms in Anne Arundel county, where the fight continues over possible slots in Arundel Mills mall.
GAS TAX A bill supporting a limit to increases in the gas tax seems unlikely following a hearing in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, writes Nick DiMarco for MarylandReporter.com.
HEALTH CARE Del. John Donoghue has a bill in to allow doctors to coordinate health care, Erin Julius reports in the Hagerstown Herald-Mail.
EHRLICH According to this Associated Press story, posted by the Annapolis Capital, former Gov. Bob Ehrlich is considering a run for the Senate.
COURT DATES Baltimore City police officials criticized a bill that would allow people who received traffic citations the option to select their own court date, writes Michael Dresser for The Sun’s Getting There blog.
SETTING LIMITS Senators want to limit the amount of a tax levied to property owners, writes Daniel Valentine for the Gazette of Politics and Business.
AMAZON TAX Local retailers and national corporate giants are going at it again on a bill that would increase sales tax for out-of-state businesses, writes Nick Sohr for the Daily Record.
COURT JUDGES Attorney General Doug Gansler is being criticized for a bill that would enable circuit court judges to run unopposed in retention elections, Steve Lash writes for The Daily Record.
SICK DAYS In a Frederick News-Post column, Marta Mossburg writes about abuse of sick days and personal leave by state employees.
HIGHWAYS Gov. O’Malley believes digital highway signs informing drivers of commute times may be having some unintentional consequences along Maryland roads, Kai Jackson reports for WJZ. According to WTOP’s Adam Tuss, commuters are complaining that the signs slow traffic.
DATE VIOLENCE Local families testified in favor of a bill that would add education on date violence to school curriculums, according to Kate Ryan for WTOP.
NOTEBOOK Post blog Maryland Politics touches on the ups and downs from yesterday’s State House meetings, written by John Wagner.
PG TAXES Prince George's County senators are seeking limits on three taxes that could save county property owners several hundreds of dollars each year, Daniel Valentine reports in the Gazette.
Firings And Discipline After Teacher Death
March 18, 2010 - By Sabri Ben-Achour
Maryland's Juvenile Services secretary says two employees have been fired and three disciplined after a teacher was killed at a state-run juvenile detention center in Prince George's County.
The Cheltenham Youth Facility is a place where children awaiting trial are held before their court date. It also houses a shelter for children under court supervision who are not considered dangerous.
Sixty-Five-year-old Hannah Wheeling was a teacher there, and her body was found outside a building at the facility on February 18th. Police say she was murdered. They haven't charged anyone, though they are focusing their investigation on a 13-year-old-boy housed at the shelter.
Juvenile Services Secretary Donald DeVore says one of the youth in the program has been transferred and admissions to the program have been suspended. Two staff members have been fired, a high-level administrator has been demoted, and a supervisor and program manager have been suspended.
DeVore says the investigation found that some youth in program weren't being supervised as Cheltenham policies require.
Montgomery County Council Hopes For Changes In Truancy Laws
March 18, 2010 - Montgomery County, Maryland is seeing an increase in juvenile crime and one county council member is working on truancy legislation she hopes will help reverse that trend.
The truancy law in Maryland allows for the prosecution of guardians-or adults who encourage truancy-but not the students who are missing school. State's Attorney John McCarthy says that makes it difficult for police officers to approach students on the street when they should be in school.
"Police are very reticent of going up and saying 'why aren't you in school,'" says Mccarthy. "Why? Because they are afraid that they're going to be charged with false arrest of a young person."
Montgomery County Council member Valerie Ervin says she's working on legislation to allow police officers to pick up truants and drive them back to school. She says that would help bring down truancy rates and help prevent other juvenile crime.
"We need to stop the cycle early on so that we find out when these kids are missing school and then find out ways to intervene," she says.
Ervin says there are other steps the county needs to take as well, including better tracking of student academic performance and using other factors to try to identify students at risk of missing school.
Baltimore May Take Middle Road On Bag Bill
March 17, 2010 - By Sabri Ben-Achour
A plastic bag bill being considered by Baltimore's City Council is taking a middle road in the debate over how to deal with litter from grocery carriers.
A Baltimore City Council committee opted not to follow the example of D.C., and rejected a bag surcharge. Instead, they approved a bill that would allow food sellers two options: voluntarily cut back on plastic bag use and meet certain recycling requirements, or be banned from using plastic bags altogether.
Food sellers would be required to keep track of certain data in order to find out whether people use fewer bags or just switch to paper. Councilman James B. Kraft says he believes he has enough votes to pass the bill precisely because it avoids a bag fee or a total ban. Maryland's General Assembly is considering such a bag surcharge that would apply statewide.
Free Taxi Rides Available During St. Patrick's Day
March 17, 2010 - By Kavitha Cardoza
As St. Patrick's Day celebrations get underway, police are cracking down on drunk driving, and some groups are reminding revelers there are free taxi rides available to help get them home safely.
Almost every person arrested for drunk driving says they wished they had planned a safe ride home, according to Kurt Erickson, with the Washington Regional Alcohol Program.
"Whether it be designating a driver, or using public transportation or at least remembering the number for SoberRide." Erickson says the program covers fares up to $50 and rides are available between 4 p.m. today and 4 a.m. tomorrow morning across the Washington Metro area.
Erickson says drinking and driving affects more than just the driver.
"The randomness of drunk driving is just huge," he says. "A third of drunk driving's victims are non-intoxicated drivers, non- intoxicated passengers, non-intoxicated pedestrians."
Several police and sheriff's departments are planning sobriety checkpoints and extra DUI patrols. The number for SoberRide is 1-800-200 TAXI.
Latest Maryland Regional News
March 17, 2010 - ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland senators have endorsed requiring school attendance until age 18. Senators voted 31-16 today to increase the dropout age from 16 but made the change contingent on the governor funding the initiative.
ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) Leading environmental groups are seeking a court review of Montgomery County's stormwater discharge permit. Critics charge no enforceable limits have been placed on the key Maryland county for how much pollution can wash into the Potomac river.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
MarylandReporter.com: State Roundup Mar. 17, 2010
March 17, 2010 - From the Maryland Reporter website:
Today we've got renewed coverage of sex offender bills, slots discussion heats up as the state considers rebidding Rocky Gap and the legal battle over slots at Arundel Mills continues. And Bob Ehrlich tests out a possible campaign message.
SEX OFFENDERS The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee heard testimony on the slew of sex offender laws making their way through the General Assembly yesterday, Steve Lash writes for The Daily Record. But the state judiciary and the Office of the Public Defender opposed the legislation, arguing that the bills strip courts of discretion and could stigmatize criminals for life. Robert Lang has multimedia for WBAL Radio. Dave Collins has a video report for WBAL TV, as does Fox 45's John Rydell.
Republicans are buying time to try to shape pending sex offender law reforms so they will more closely resemble original GOP proposals. Aaron Davis has the story on The Washington Post blog.
SLOTS Proponents of slots in Western Maryland advocated sweetening the deal for Rocky Gap because otherwise, nobody will want to build there, Annie Linskey writes in The Baltimore Sun. Investors want to change the tax rate on gambling revenues there and lower the required capital investment, Sen. George Edwards said. And others say that the Rocky Gap Lodge and Golf Resort would shut down by 2013 without slot machines, Hayley Peterson reports for the Washington Examiner.
And opponents of a slots casino at Arundel Mills mall are fighting back against the developer who filed suit, claiming their work petitioning was done illegally, Liz Farmer reports for The Daily Record. The anti-slots groups filed motions to intervene in the lawsuit, arguing that Cordish Co. sued to deter citizens from exercising their political rights. Ryan Sharrow has the story for the Baltimore Business Journal.
BOOZE There are 68 bills relating to minute changes in alcohol regulation, making their way through the General Assembly this year, Erich Wagner reports for MarylandReporter.com. Most only affect one jurisdiction, and very few people understand the complicated set of liquor laws.
TABLE GAMES Sen. Catherine Pugh wants to bring table games to Maryland to help the state's tourism industry, the Associated Press reports. She pushed for a Senate panel to have a public vote on whether to allow expanded gambling, which includes craps, poker and the like.
JUDICIAL ELECTIONS Annie Linskey with The Sun writes for the paper’s politics blog that House Judiciary Committee chairman may have shown his hand in favor of continuing judicial elections during a debate on sex offender legislation.
TRAFFIC COURT A bill that would take away the automatic day in court for traffic violators has passed the Senate, Michael Dresser reports in his Getting There blog for The Sun. Accused offenders would have to request a hearing if the bill passes.
BOAST A proposal to grant tax credits for corporate donations to private schools survived back-to-back attempts to weaken it in the Senate and is expected to come up for a final vote in that chamber this week, Nick DiMarco writes for MarylandReporter.com.
JOBS JOBS JOBS House Republicans are expected to try to add provisions to a job creation tax credit proposal by Gov. Martin O’Malley, Nick Sohr writes in his Eye on Annapolis Blog for The Daily Record. He writes that GOP delegates are concerned that the credit may not reach enough small businesses.
EHRLICH Could-be gubernatorial candidate Bob Ehrlich began shaping a potential campaign message in an address before the Pikesville Chamber of Commerce, Julie Bykowicz reports for The Sun. Ehrlich said that the state has much to offer, but has a problem in the General Assembly. And the Associated Press reports that Ehrlich said supporters are urging him to run for U.S. Senate instead of governor. John Wagner has the story for the Post.
GREEN Maryland would have to look for environmentally-friendly products when making state purchasing decisions, under a bill backed by Gov. Martin O'Malley, but opponents are concerned the measure could cost the state hundreds of factory jobs, Nick DiMarco reports for MarylandReporter.com.
EDUCATION SPENDING A bill that would change the way counties can apply for waivers of their education spending requirement is moving through the House, the Maryland Association of Counties writes on its Conduit Street blog. Counties have been seeking to reform the "maintenance of effort" rules that require counties to spend as much on education each year as they did the previous year.
CLOSED CAPTIONING Deaf residents testified before the House Ways and Means Committee in support of a bill requiring candidates to provide closed captioning for television and web campaign ads, Meg Tully writes in the Frederick News-Post. The bill's sponsor, Del. Joseph Bartlett, said he hasn't used closed captioning on his campaign ads, but said he would do so from now on.
Advisory For Recreational Use Of Upper Potomac
March 17, 2010 - ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Maryland Natural Resources Police are advising against recreational uses of the upper Potomac River and its creeks and streams through Friday.
Natural Resources Police say recent rains have made river levels hazardous on the entire main stem of the upper Potomac from Kitzmiller to Little Falls.
The agency says fishermen, boaters and others could be confronted with life-threatening conditions.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Report On Trips Taken Daily Per Person
March 17, 2010 - By Matt Bush
Older people in the D.C. region are driving more, while younger people are driving less, according to a report from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
The report analyzed two previous surveys of the number of trips each person takes per day. Those 65 years and older increased their trips from 1994 to 2008. Robert Griffths of COG attributes that to the fact seniors in this region are healthier and wealthier.
"They're making more and more daily trips, probably not in the peak period," he says. "But more trips overall, with the biggest increases being shopping trips, personal business trips, seeing your doctor, or your lawyer, or your banker."
During the same time period, those aged 16 to 24 took fewer trips. Griffiths says social media tools like Facebook and texting allow young people to stay in touch without leaving home.
Church In PG Rallies Against Metro Budget Cuts
March 16, 2010 - By David Schultz
Although it sounds like religious services, the gathering at Gethsemane United Methodist Church in Capitol Heights, Md. is actually a rally in opposition to Metro's budget proposals, which include the elimination of dozens of bus lines and a fare increase of more than 20 percent.
JoVone Pender, a younger member of Gethsemane Church, told the congregation how the fare hike would affect him. He says he's working in his first job and he relies on Metro to get him there.
"The Metro rates are going up and taking a toll on my newly-employed pockets," he says.
Theresa Bryant, a District resident, spoke about how bus service is already inadequate-even before any lines are eliminated.
"The Metro system was able to get millions of people to the Obama inauguration," she says. "But I can't get to church, because the F14 doesn't run on Sunday."
Metro Board Member Elizabeth Hewlett, who represents Prince George's County, came on toward the end to answer the congregation's questions. But she was "amen-ed" off the stage after she went over her allotted two minutes.
The Metro Board is holding public hearings over the next few months on the proposed service cuts and increased fares before it casts a final vote in June. The first of Metro's six budget hearings is scheduled for this Monday at Oakton High School in Vienna, Va. It starts at 7 p.m.
Police: Shots Fired Near Greenbelt High School
March 16, 2010 - GREENBELT, Md. (AP) Police have reopened a Greenbelt high school after shots were fired nearby.
Prince George's County public schools spokeswoman Tanzi West Barbour says a couple of people came out of the woods next to Eleanor Roosevelt High School, fired shots and then ran back into the woods Tuesday morning. West Barbour says the shooting happened across the street and not on school property. No one was injured.
Greenbelt police spokeswoman Officer Kelly Lawson says the school was locked down as a precaution. Lawson says officers searched the area by helicopter and on the ground but did not find anyone.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Latest Maryland Regional News
March 16, 2010 - ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) A Baltimore senator wants to bring table games like craps, poker and roulette to Maryland in the hopes of increasing tourism. Baltimore Sen. Catherine Pugh urged a Senate panel today to support letting the public decide whether to allow the games in Maryland.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Slots opponents say they have asked the court to dismiss a lawsuit over the validity of petition signatures they have gathered in hopes of halting slot machines. Representatives of groups opposed to slots at an Anne Arundel County mall said today that efforts to gather petition signatures were "completely lawful."
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
