State Roundup, June 5, 2013

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UNSTIRRED OPPOSITION: The editorial board for the Sun writes that the death penalty repeal and gun control measures failed to stir sufficient opposition from Maryland voters to put either on the ballot next year.

GARRETT SHERIFF AGAINST NEW GUN LAW: Garrett County’s sheriff, who said he intends to enforce Maryland’s new gun law as he sees fit, provided a resolution he claims protects citizens’ Second Amendment rights in regard to the law and asked for the county commissioners’ support, writes Elaine Blaisdell for the Cumberland Times-News.

FAIR SHARE ACT A BOON TO AFSCME: Columnist Marta Mossburg writes in the Sun that Maryland’s Fair Share Act is to fair what Liberace is to understated. The 2009 law mandating that all state employees pay union dues regardless of whether they belong to the union is, however, a huge boon to the bottom line of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, according to IRS records.

CITY MAY SLASH SOME STORMWATER FEES: Baltimore City officials endorsed a proposal Tuesday to knock as much as 85% off the tabs that some port-related businesses would owe under the city’s new stormwater fee — a change that could save one auto processing company more than $300,000 a year, reports Scott Calvert for the Sun.

DNA RULING: Anne Arundel and Annapolis police say they’re encouraged by the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Monday, which cleared the way for police to take a DNA swab from anyone arrested for violent crimes, writes Tim Prudente in the Capital-Gazette.

INSURANCE PREMIUM CAP: Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler urged state regulators Tuesday to cap the amount that insurers can raise premiums under the new health care law to no more than 5% until more is known about how the sweeping federal legislation will affect health costs, reports Andrea Walker in the Sun.

The Maryland Insurance Administration is expected to rule by next month on proposed rates for insurance plans that will be sold on the state-run health exchanges. Some of the 12 insurers’ proposed rates range from a few percent less than what the same plan would cost outside of the exchange to 150% more than a similar nonexchange plan, writes Andy Brownfield for the Washington Examiner.

DEL. GEORGE ANNOUNCES FOR GOV:Michael Dresser of the Sun reports that Del. Ron George, a two-term state legislator from Anne Arundel County and Annapolis Main Street jeweler, will take the political leap of his life tonight as he announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor in 2014.

The second-term Anne Arundel Republican plans to focus on expanding small business, growing the private sector and reducing business taxes in an announcement speech that he’s calling a “10-point promise,” reports Alexander Pyles in the Daily Record. “It’s a plan to bring back economic growth to this state. It’s a plan for increasing our tax base, because right now it’s not as it should be,” George said.

MAYOR AS RUNNING MATE: The same day that Salisbury Mayor Jim Ireton gave a rousing introduction for Maryland gubernatorial running mates Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman, speculation arose about him as the running mate for a potential competitor in the state Democratic primary, writes Jennifer Shutt for the Salisbury Daily Times.

ULMAN’S FUTURE: The editorial board for the Howard County Times writes that it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Ken Ulman has his political sights set higher than being Howard County’s executive. Since about the midway point of his current term, even the most indifferent of political observers could see Ulman doing his best to improve his name recognition beyond Howard’s borders, whether serving as president of the Maryland Association of Counties, standing with Montgomery and Prince George’s county leaders to promote expanded gambling or solidifying his Baltimore base with his unabashed love of the Ravens.

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GOP AIDE FILES FOR DELEGATE SEAT: A former staffer in the George W. Bush Pentagon and aide to Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich has turned her focus toward the newly formed legislative district in Worcester County, reports Jennifer Shutt for the Salisbury Daily Times. Mary Beth Carozza, a graduate of Stephen Decatur High School, is the second resident and first Republican to file to run for the District 38C House of Delegates seat. A short video of Carozza tops the story.

BIAS PROTESTED:About 20 people demonstrated Tuesday outside the Arundel Center in Annapolis to implore County Executive Laura Neuman to do more to combat what they see as racism and discrimination in county government, reports Pamela Wood in the Sun.

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

2 Comments

  1. cwals99

    You have yet to introduce Brian Vaeth for Governor and Duane Davis for Lt Governor even though they registered a month ago! These are free and fair elections and we need all candidates treated equally!

    We went to the polls last election with a cast of challengers no one knew…..that is no democracy and media is required to give candidates time and policies air time in order for an informed electorate to vote!

    • lenlazarick

      Vaeth and Davis were mentioned at the bottom of the story about David Craig on Monday. Just because someone has plunked down $250 to file as a candidate for governor does not make them a serious candidate. These guys have no website. Do they have supporters, a real campaign? All the other candidates try to make sure we know about them and their activities. these guys have not. They should know how to reach me. I’ll make it easy. Len@MarylandReporter.com

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