Business climate panel could recommend changes to state Department of Business and Economic Development; candidates for attorney general want to keep the state prosecutors offices; meanwhile Hoffman, Hollinger and Steinberg blast attorney general candidate Cardin “lackluster career in the state legislature;” police group backs Brown for governor; Gansler airs “empty lectern” ad, Brown responds in kind; Mizeur ad keeps upbeat tone; Sen. Raskin backs Moon, Smith for vacant District 20 House seats; despite marital problems, Alma Colburn continues to support Sen. Colburn in political arena; Leggett leads in fundraising for Montgomery County exec; O’Malley heads to Nebraska; and a controversy erupts during Frederick County Commissioners meeting.
Month: May 2014
TV, radio debates kick off final three weeks of primary campaign
Three televised debates next week for the gubernatorial candidates of both major parties along with a radio debate kick off the final three weeks of the primary election campaign. Voters are paying more attention to a June 24 primary that is taking many by surprise, and the volume of advertising is set to ratchet up, with mailers filling mailboxes. Please send us photos of or links to any ads or mailers you think newsworthy. MarylandReporter.com would like to publish your impressions of the debates this week.
State Roundup, May 29, 2014
Cigarette tax pledge continues to gain candidate support; Gov. O’Malley heads to Iowa; resident complains about Del. Hough’s birthday wishes on State House letterhead; Frosh issues first attorney general campaign commercial; with gubernatorial campaign coffers filling up, expect a barrage of ads; with Brown missing WBFF debate, he becomes subject of Craigslist ad; where was Brown? At a community forum; League of Conservation Voters back Brown; in county executive fundraising: Watson tops Kittleman in Howard; Young and Gardner pretty even in Frederick; and Schuh beats Neuman in funds on hand, but not fundraising.
216 legislative candidates support $1 a pack cigarette tax hike
Two hundred sixteen (216) candidates for the Maryland General Assembly have signed a pledge to raise cigarette taxes next year by $1 a pack, disappointing a coalition of business groups that had asked candidates not to sign the promise.
State Roundup, May 28, 2014
Gov. O’Malley orders creation of commission to improve pre-trial system; study finds Maryland’s women are less worse-off than counterparts in other states; Hagerstown-area business leaders concerned over state’s business climate; Frederick County mother joins national effort for medical marijuana; in fundraising, Frosh leads in attorney general race and Brown pulls in the big bucks for governor; meanwhile, there are other Democratic candidates for governor; Gansler and Mizeur debate without Brown around; U.S. Rep. Ruppersberger decides to back Brown; and Leggett, Young lead in fundraising in their respective county exec races.
Silver Spring Transit Center: Study finds many to blame for stalled, costly project
Serious safety, soundness, and durability problems that are now causing indefinite delays with opening the $112 million Silver Spring Transit Center (SSTC) were attributable to negligence, inadequate oversight and other shortcomings with project management, construction, and engineering.
In other words, none of the principal parties has “clean hands” according to a study released last week by the independent Office of Inspector General for Montgomery County.
Commentary: Vatz on Gansler-Mizeur debate minus Brown
Here is a commentary on Tuesday’s Fox 45 debate between Attorney General Doug Gansler and Del. Heather Mizeur by Rick Vatz, a professor of rhetoric and communication at Towson University. Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown did not participate.
State Roundup, May 27, 2014
Campaign account of Baltimore County Exec Kamenetz makes transparency difficult; gubernatorial candidates’ campaign finance reports due tonight; the Young family of Frederick creates a political dynasty; Julius Henson goes negative in campaign against Sen. McFadden; NRA backs Serafini, Parrott; gubernatorial race is a referendum on the O’Malley administration; O’Malley captured busking on the Annapolis Dock; Brown attacks Gansler in campaign literature; and Wayne Curry battles cancer with humor, chemo and activism.
Brown mailer attacks ‘Gansler’s Irresponsible, Republican Tax Giveaway’
Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown’s TV ads have largely been positive depictions of his background and issues in the race for governor, while Attorney General Doug Gansler has been more prone to attack the O’Malley-Brown record on taxes and education. But the Brown campaign takes the gloves off in a mailer that went to some Democratic primary voters last week.
Rascovar: Serious questions about cannabis, politics & public health
Some key questions about legalizing pot: What are the harms to individuals from using cannabis? Will legalization lead to more use? Will the roads be less safe? And what about the kids?
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