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State Roundup, March 23, 2018

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Bipartisan support for school security legislation that would require districts to hire safety personnel, set up active shooter plans, add technology; House of Delegates passes Gov. Hogan’s $44.5 billion budget, setting up conference session over Senate version; Del. McKay continues push for Medicaid dental coverage; controversial bill would ban new hires from opting out of being contacted by union; federal omnibus bill restores funding of Chesapeake Bay cleanup and gives full funding for a Fort Detrick laboratory; and U.S. Senate OKs new U.S. Attorney for Maryland.

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State Roundup, March 22, 2018

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Following shooting at S. Maryland school, school safety bills to be focus of General Assembly hearings; House vote expected today on $44.5 million state operating budget; school construction bill would strip approval power from governor, comptroller; legislation for mandate prisons to develop policies on medical care for pregnant prisoners; problems plague Prince George’s safe house for battered women, which receives state funding; Democratic gubernatorial candidate Vignarajah pushes women’s candidacies, issues to the forefront with new ad; and whether by bus or bike, several politicians to attend Saturday March for Our Lives in D.C.

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State Roundup, March 21, 2018

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Following the Southern Maryland school shootings, Gov. Hogan faults General Assembly for not acting more quickly on legislation, even as legislators weigh spending $125 million more on school security upgrades; House to consider bill to test dental insurance for Medicaid recipients; Senate expected to vote today on $1 billion capital budget; HBCUs call for more compensation after Hogan’s $100 million offer; House panel skeptical of JHU’s proposal for campus police force; judge rejects challenge to city state’s attorney candidate’s residency; Prince George’s Council rejects pay raise; and Sun Media Group undergoing company-wide reorganization.

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State Roundup, March 20, 2018

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With state Senate passage, Maryland on verge of banning bump stocks; bill to allow judges to admit history of predatory behavior heads to conference committee; measure to overhaul how General Assembly deals with harassment claims passes House, heads to Senate; Comptroller Franchot gets whacked with legislation after his “Reform on Tap” attempt fails; as usual, crossover day passes in a frenzy; bill would ban pot smoking in vehicles; Doug Gansler backs Richard Madaleno for governor; and challenges to two candidates’ residency could clear way for city State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.

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State Roundup, March 19, 2018

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Gov. Hogan, Dems propose taxing insurance companies to stabilize health premiums; where ever it is built, impact of proposed third span to Bay Bridge to draw opposition, favor; House of Delegates OKs bill that would ban sale of animals from puppy mills; Senate OKs stripping state song of designation; Sen. Oaks asks court to dismiss six counts; Congress faces Friday deadline on deciding EPA authority over Bay cleanup; judge ousts talk show host from state Senate race after challenge to residency; and DNR won’t transfer Arundel fairgrounds to county despite request from county exec.

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State Roundup, March 16, 2018

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Maryland Senate unanimously passes $44.5 billion budget with $200 million in new education funding; as gun control measures pass House of Delegates, Senate President Miller pushes committee chair to move bills to Senate floor; bill to allow evidence in court of predatory behavior moves out of committee; in fight against Citizens United, House moves for Constitutional Convention; proposal to legalize sports betting may go to the voters in November; drug, alcohol testing of drivers who cause pedestrian death before Senate panel; Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls line up behind upping renewables standard; and three small businesses in Seat Pleasant sue town over huge rise in property taxes.

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State Roundup, March 15, 2018

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Gov. Hogan calls bipartisan bill to tighten restrictions on gun accessibility, ban bumpstocks “common sense;” lawmakers seeks to make Baltimore City Police Department accountable, transparent; immigration debate heats up in Annapolis; new renewable energy use mandate fails; pipeline protesters arrested in State House sit-in; ‘Maryland, My Maryland’ may be relegated to the b-side; state Sen. Oaks drops entrapment claim; U.S. Rep. Cummings recovering at home; Donna Edwards endorsed by Maryland Working Families in race for Prince George’s County exec; and Hogan attacks potential rival over silence on county officials’ convictions.

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State Roundup, March 14, 2018

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Sen. Kagan, lobbyist Gil Genn roll out video of incident to prove opposing views on inappropriate touching complaint while Kagan says more women have told her similar stories; Sen. Ferguson seeks commission to look into Baltimore Police disgraced Gun Trace Task Force; delegate would like to expand hate crime law to include visual threats; private schools rally for public support; clean water activists to protest Potomac pipeline; Gov. Hogan taps Sen. Norman’s widow to fill out remainder of his term; and after years, Carroll Commissioners pass state-mandated ethics law, but not without tension.

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State Roundup, March 13, 2108

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House committee rejects proposal to prohibit wind farms within 30 miles of Ocean City coastline; state Senate OKs sweeping crime bill, passing it on to the House; Sen. Kagan continues to beat drum for modernizing statewide 911 system; lawmakers look to shield government-held email lists from public information requests; state Senate gives final OK to judicial pay hikes; Frederick County’s challenge to stormwater management mandates to go to court; Sen. Norman’s widow nominated to fill remainder of his term; and a progressive challenges Sen. Zirkin, picks up endorsement along the way.

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State Roundup, March 12, 2018

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Patient bill of right passes Senate Friday, spurred by “patient dumping” incident; lawmakers look to regulate AirBnB type home-sharing setups; vill to allow evidence of sexual predatory behavior has shot in Senate, unlikely to pass House; Virginia lawmakers step up with companion Metro funding bill similar to Maryland’s proposal; Gov. Hogan draws scrutiny over job appointments procedures; conservative think-tank criticizes Prince George’s schools over post-employment benefits; and Baltimore County executive candidates consider raft of school reforms following ex-Superintendent Dance guilty perjury plea.