Month: September 2011

State Roundup, September 30, 2011

Grassley gets documents to scrutinize Baltimore public housing; PG’s political sway should remain intact despite political abuse scandals; new texting laws and several others go into effect Saturday; Perryville casino rakes in $101 million in first year; public-private partnerships gaining momentum.

State Roundup, September 29, 2011

The People’s Counsel asks the PSC to probe deeper into BGE’s performance in hurricane cleanup; PSC sets hearings on sale of BGE parent company to Exelon; several slots bids rejected; O’Malley names seven to Circuit Court bench; Currie trial continues with state highway chief’s testimony; PA chemical containers end up in Chesapeake Bay; state Sen. Muse may challenge U.S. Sen. Cardin in primary; and feds probe Baltimore County government.

Educators and financial literacy advocates respond to growing student debt

With student loan debt approaching a national crisis, Maryland educators and financial literacy advocates are moving to address the issue – some mandated to do so and others voluntarily. “The situation is getting worse quickly because students are racking up more debt than in the past. Colleges are dishing out more aid because the economy is so bad,” said Deanne Booker, communications manager of the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Maryland and Delaware, a nonprofit community organization.

Maryland goes slow on mandating HPV vaccine

Gov. Rick Perry has taken a lot of heat for requiring Texas schoolgirls to be vaccinated against human papilloma virus, which causes cervical cancer. Maryland has taken a wait-and-see approach to requiring the shots, with a governor’s task force deciding the vaccine was too new to mandate. The public did not know enough about the vaccine and access was too limited, a subcommittee determined.

State Roundup, September 28, 2011

PSC gets an earful over BGE’s Irene cleanup, possible rate hikes; with the latest bids on slots in Baltimore and Western Maryland, the state’s gambling future is finally taking shape; health department hopes to ban sale of crib bumper pads; prosecutors, defense paint vastly different pictures of Ulysses Currie as his trial begins; Rick Perry raises $75,000 at Baltimore breakfast; and councilman proposes banning slots in Prince George’s.

GPS could be used to deter Chesapeake Bay poachers

A pilot program to install tracking devices on some commercial fishing boats in the Chesapeake Bay may go into effect next year. The program would be voluntary for commercial fishermen. It will be discussed at two open houses next week along with proposed fishing regulations from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service.

State Roundup, September 27, 2011

State seeks laid-off workers at Morgan Chase, BP Solar job retraining; commission to vote on recommendations to increase transportation funding; Washington County delegation reimbursement for Annapolis session broken down; Currie jury selected; Constellation partner threatens to vote against Exelon deal; and state dairy industry drying up.

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