State Roundup July 2, 2010

KANE DEBUTS: Ehrlich would have his new LG candidate Mary Kane handle criminal justice and small business if they win in November, reports Annie Linskey of the Sun.  Read John Wagner’s Post story on Kane’s first day on the campaign trail here. The two visit a Baltimore charter school shortly after she was announced, the Sun’s Julie Bykowicz blogs about it. And view Dave Collins report for WBAL-TV here. While John Wagner blogs that Ehrlich likes to pick people that he knows and trust.

The Gazette’s gives its take on the Kane announcement. And Sean Sedam reports Kane is “conservative where it counts.”

The Sun editorial writers say Ehrlich made the right choice, but the race is still up to him.

EHRLICH OPPONENT: The ex-governor’s primary opponent Brian Murphy struggles to be heard, reports the Gazette’s Benjamin Ford.

ELMORE TAPPED: Liz Holland of the Salisbury Daily Times confirms that Carolyn Elmore, widow of Del. Page Elmore, has been tapped by Republicans to serve out the remainder of her husband’s term.

O’MALLEY WORRIED?: Do the negative radio spots against Ehrlich show that O’Malley is worried about the race or are they testing campaign themes? Alan Brody explores those questions in the Gazette.

OWENS OUT? Janet Owens may have said she isn’t running for Anne Arundel County exec, but she has several days to change her mind, Eric Hartley blogs for the Annapolis Capital.

OWINGS: More details on why George Owings dropped his bid for governor from the Gazette’s Alan Brody, who actually broke the story on Wednesday.

RESIDENCY FIGHT: Rovall Washington, who filed to run for the Maryland Senate, is seeking to get his opponent, Art Helton, kicked out of the race, claiming that Helton doesn’t live in the district, Jeff Hager of WMAR-TV reports.

POLITICAL ROMP: Read a wrapup of Anne Arundel-centric political news in the Capital.

FEW DEMS: As the deadline for filing for this year’s election draws near, the dearth of Democrats who have thrown their hats into the ring for Carroll County seats gives voters in that party little to look forward to, the Carroll County Times editorial board writes.

MENSH RETURNS: The once and future Clerk of the Court? That’s how Suzanne Mensh sees her possible return to elected politics after filing to run for the Baltimore County office, writes Bryan Sears for Patuxent Publishing.

STATE’S ATTORNEY: The sudden death of Sam Vincent, Wicomico County’s deputy state’s attorney, has sent the GOP scrambling to try to find someone to run for county state’s attorney, which Vincent was going to seek, reports Greg Latshaw of the Salisbury Daily Times.

CRISFIELD PROBE: The U.S. Justice Department is expected to begin its own investigation into the recent Crisfield election following allegations that improper and illegal voting procedures may have been used, Liz Holland reports for the Salisbury Daily Times.

HOWARD RACE: Alan Klein seeks to unseat fellow Democrat Mary Kay Sigaty from her west Columbia Howard County Council seat, Larry Carson writes for the Sun.

POLITICAL SIGNS: Howard County will not enforce rules governing political signs during the 2010 campaign season, writes Sarah Breitenbach for the Columbia Flier.

HOLTON CHARGES: The state’s second-highest court has upheld the dismissal of several bribery charges against Baltimore City Councilwoman Helen L. Holton, reports the Sun. You can watch Kanika Ware’s report for WMAR-TV here.

COMMUTER RIGHTS: Anne Kramer of WBAL Radio and the AP report that Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger will introduce a Commuter’s Bill of Rights after incidents in which passengers were left stranded on MARC trains.

HEALTH REFORM: The state group that is helping usher in the health care reform law presented a draft report that seeks to evaluate how the legislation impact various health care agencies and programs throughout the state, Emily Mullin reports for the Baltimore Business Journal.

BUDGET: The state fiscal year begins with renewed questions about revenues and federal aid, Sean Sedam reports in the Gazette.

NEW LAWS: A rundown of new state laws that took effect July 1. Benjamin Ford has it in the Gazette.

SLOTS: More on slots from Gazette columnist Barry Rascovar.

STATE PENSIONS: Retiring Del. Murray Levy raises the alarm on state pensions again.

NOTEBOOK: The Gazette weekly notebook includes items on “Bay’s-ball,” Ehrlich, Marie Doory’s giveaway, a new PAC, the ACLU’s new office,an environmental scorecard error.