O’Malley holds year-end roundtable with reporters; topics included taxes, septic systems, job creation, Purple Line; Lt. Gov. Brown’s chief of staff leaving for law firm; redistricting in Frederick; Franchot fundraisers; Brinkley congressional campaign.
Month: December 2011
O’Malley says gas and flush tax hikes may be part of 2013 budget
Gov. Martin O’Malley told reporters Thursday that “yes, perhaps” tax hikes would be part of next year’s proposed budget as part of a “balanced approach,” but he declined to be more specific.
Smigiel dominates early legislation — again
The General Assembly already has a pile of 47 bills that have been prefiled so members can get right to work when they convene next month. On the House of Delegates side, nobody has prefiled more than Del. Michael Smigiel.
State Roundup, December 29, 2011
Commission makes recommendations on stent placement; bill would require guardians to notify police of missing child within limited time; state altering child support collection; state gets more federal funding to help cover children’s health care; Lt. Gov. Brown returns donation from tax evader; and O’Malley appoints Kratovil to District Court bench.
Md. congressional districts may be most gerrymandered in nation
Maryland officials constantly tout the state’s top schools and most educated workforce, but it may have a more dubious distinction – the least compact and most gerrymandered congressional districts in the nation.
New ways needed to use poultry waste, study says
Maryland’s poultry industry is worth more than $600 million annually – but produces enough waste to pile up to the top of nearly two football stadiums and create about 40% of the phosphorus that pollutes the Chesapeake Bay, according to a report released Wednesday by Environment Maryland.
State gets $28.3 million bonus for children’s Medicaid enrollment
Maryland will receive a $28 million performance bonus from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for fiscal year 2011 for its consistent efforts to identify and enroll eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP coverage.
State Roundup, December 28, 2011
PAC may take congressional redistricting fight to Supreme Court; panel releases recommendations for implementing health exchanges for affordable insurance; one legislator wants to outlaw some video game rooms while the state considers putting lottery ticket sales on line; Marylanders who appealed property tax assessments find long wait for results; Del. Dan Morhaim, aka “Dr. Dan,” releases book on how to have a better death; mixed views on traffic cameras; number of state lawmakers will also be seeking higher office while in session; and U.S. Rep. Bartlett is out raising funds.
Traffic cameras can be bad deals for local jurisdictions, study says
Cameras that take pictures of motorists running red lights and speeding – currently located in 41 communities statewide – can be bad deals for the cities that install them, according to a report from PIRG. The report goes through many of the issues that states and communities have had with the traffic cameras issuing citations – and costing both motorists and communities dearly.
Red light, speed cameras remain controversial even as numbers grow
In the 14 years since the Maryland legislature approved red light cameras, about 200 of the ticket-issuing machines have been installed in the state, according to a database compiled by AAA Mid-Atlantic. That doesn’t include speed cameras, which are numerous in Maryland, but for which there is no comprehensive database.
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