State Roundup, May 8, 2013

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SECURITY CHIEF REMOVED: State officials said Tuesday they removed the security chief at the Baltimore City Detention Center in the wake of a federal indictment that alleged an extensive smuggling scheme involving gang members and officers at the facility, reports Ian Duncan in the Sun.

Jayne Miller of WBAL-TV reports that state prison officials offered no comment about the move, only saying the chief was removed Friday.

QUICK ACTION, SOMETIMES: The editorial board for the Sun writes that when federal authorities announced a sweeping indictment alleging widespread corruption by 13 guards at the Baltimore City Detention Center, members of the House of Delegates Judiciary Committee were quick to call for a hearing so they could demand answers from corrections chief Gary Maynard. They were much quicker to do that, in fact, than they have been to approve legislation designed to crack down on the very offenses that are at the heart of the indictment.

OPEN JAIL CELLS: Electrical surges that twice resulted in 500 jail cell doors unlocking all at the same time in the Montgomery County correctional facility in Boyds has prompted the county to hire outside firms to review the jail’s computerized security system, reports Virginia Terhune for the Gazette.

SMALL BUSINESS BURDEN: One small businesswoman in Frederick County tells News-Post reporter Ike Wilson that small businesses do not have, nor can they afford, experts to interpret tax laws from 50 states, which vary and are constantly changing. “Does anybody like to do taxes other than CPAs?” she asked.

GUN PETITION: Sue Payne, the Montgomery County woman who is hoping to get the state’s new gun law overturned by referendum, said she is running the petition effort without the financial support of any state or national gun groups, reports Andy Brownfield for the Washington Examiner.

SESSION ANALYSIS: In this 10 minute video, a panel of five reporters, moderated by Len Lazarick of MarylandReporter.com, analyzed the recent 90-day session of the Maryland General Assembly at a luncheon put on by Maryland Business for Responsive Government.

LATE TERM ABORTION: Sun columnist Marta Mossburg writes that in light of the horrific testimony in the trial of a Pennsylvania abortion doctor, Maryland should reconsider its stand on late-term abortion.

RUBBING NOSES: Nothing Gov. Martin O’Malley said made news Tuesday morning when he greeted the Dalai Lama at a lecture at the University of Maryland. But photos of what O’Malley did upon meeting the Dalai Lama quickly went viral, writes John Wagner in the Post.

BROWN ANNOUNCEMENT: Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown is expected to announce his gubernatorial bid, according to an AP story in the Daily Record. Officials say that Brown will make the announcement Friday during a picnic at Prince George’s Community College. The lieutenant governor is also expected to make stops in Frederick, Montgomery County and Baltimore on Saturday.

TOILET PROTESTER FILES: A Milford Mill man known for political protests involving putting toilets in front of a county government building in Towson has filed as a candidate for lieutenant governor in 2014. Duane “Shorty” Davis has filed as the running mate with Brian Vaeth, a Perry Hall man, reports Bryan Sears for Patch.com.

TOLLIVER RESIGNS: Anne Arundel County Police Chief Larry Tolliver announced on Tuesday he will retire in two weeks, writes Ben Weathers and Tim Prudente in the Capital-Gazette. The announcement comes after a two-week investigation by the county Personnel Office found Tolliver used an anti-gay slur in the workplace.

Tolliver said he was spurred to resign following what he described as constant questioning of his leadership, especially through anonymous letters and complaints. He said they took a toll on him, his family and on the department as a whole, report Pamela Wood and Andrea Siegel in the Sun.

GUNS AT THE DUMP: Those permitted to carry firearms may soon be able to carry them in Carroll County’s solid waste acceptance facilities after an organization advocating the Second Amendment sent a letter to the county, reports Christian Alexandersen for the Carroll County Times.

About The Author

Cynthia Prairie

cynthiaprairie@gmail.com
https://www.chestertelegraph.org/

Contributing Editor Cynthia Prairie has been a newspaper editor since 1979, when she began working at The Raleigh Times. Since then, she has worked for The Baltimore News American, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Prince George’s Journal and Baltimore County newspapers in the Patuxent Publishing chain, including overseeing The Jeffersonian when it was a two-day a week business publication. Cynthia has won numerous state awards, including the Maryland State Bar Association’s Gavel Award. Besides compiling and editing the daily State Roundup, she runs her own online newspaper, The Chester Telegraph. If you have additional questions or comments contact Cynthia at: cynthiaprairie@gmail.com

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