New Prescription Drug Affordability Board learns about ethics of financial disclosure requirements in first meeting; eight Annapolis lawmakers are running for other offices; Gov. Hogan sets aside $9 million in tax credits to help those with student loan debt; formal portraits of former Senate President Mike Miller, late Sen. Verda Welcome hung in Senate chamber; Chanel Branch tapped to replace former Del. Cheryl Glenn; Board of Public Works OKs $18.8 million for Rural Legacy Program grants; NAACP, Prince George’s County sue Census Bureau over lack of preparation; following “Healthy Holly” book scandal, Baltimore City Council pursues ethics reforms; and Baltimore mayor signs off on plastic bag ban.
Cynthia Prairie
State Roundup, January 13, 2020
Medical marijuana brings in $10 million in tax revenues in FY2019; Southern Maryland officials plan to launch push to bring commuter rail to their communities; death with dignity bill could fall short again this year; tax proposed for online venues that host digital ads; legislature, workers have little confidence in handling of harassment, bias claims; two companies received a quarter of state tax abatements in 2019; with Baltimore City, Prince George’s concerned over Kirwan financial hit, lawmakers say they’ll study adjusting formula; federal lawmakers push to hold EPA accountable over Bay cleanup; dems seeking late Rep. Cummings’ seat hold forum; Prince George’s County Exec Alsobrooks slams law banning some fund-raising as biased; and is former Arundel County Exec Leopold running for AA school board?
State Roundup, January 9, 2020
Board of Public Works approves 2-1 Gov. Hogan’s Capital Beltway, I-270 roads plan with compromises; opening day of 441st General Assembly session launches era of younger, more diverse leadership, talk of bipartisan cooperation; as Adrienne Jones becomes new speaker, late Speaker Michael Busch is remembered; Gov. Hogan dismisses as false Washington Monthly article on business dealings, ethics while Jones, Senate President Ferguson express concern; cash-strapped Prince George’s, Baltimore to seek changes in Kirwan education formula; statewide, police departments have destroyed 270 rape kits in past two years; Maryland Insurance Agency to remain in downtown Baltimore location; gun issues among variety of Frederick lawmakers’ concerns; and Hogan asks Attorney General Frosh to sue Pennsylvania, EPA over Bay watershed cleanup plan.
State Roundup, January 8, 2020
Comptroller Franchot tells crowd he’s running for governor in 2022; with the General Assembly session opening today, the Statehouse will see new House and Senate leaders: Speaker Adrienne Jones brings a quiet style to her post while incoming Senate President Bill Ferguson seeks stability during the transition; pay attention to the up and comers within the House and Senate; who are the six new members of the House and Senate?; as Gov. Hogan sets his top priorities as crime and corruption, he brushes off questions about his real estate business deals following Washington Monthly report; proposed I-270 monorail between Frederick and Montgomery counties gains traction; and with Amazon blooming in Arlington County, Va., the economic split between it and Montgomery County, Md., grows.
State Roundup, January 7, 2020
While Gov. Hogan may not like a lot of what President Trump is doing, the way the two real estate executives have handled their private business affairs while in office is strikingly similar; Hogan faced a bumpy, windy road on the way to compromises over his Capital-area highway widening plans; a top Hogan aide is leaving to take government relations job with highway construction firm; on the eve of the General Assembly’s 441st session, Kirwan education reforms expected to remain top issue in Annapolis; with new leadership in the House of Delegates and the Senate comes uncertainty; new prescription drug board kicks off with bipartisanship, hope of reining in costs; Gonzales Poll finds Hogan’s popularity continues; and former U.S. Treasury official joins race for Baltimore mayor.
State Roundup, January 6, 2020
Gov. Hogan, Comptroller Franchot reach agreement over Beltway, I-270 roads projects, now expected to go before Board of Public Works on Wednesday; as the General Assembly session gets ready to open, education reform – without massive tax hike – leads concerns; bills Hogan vetoed last May expected to reappear; with changes aplenty, House Speaker Jones taps new committee leadership; Prince George’s lawmakers want deal for Bowie Race Track in any Pimlico legislation; Carroll County lawmakers set sights on Kirwan ed reform; AFSCME says Hogan denied its members raises; Frederick County skewing slightly blue; banning hair discrimination expected in Baltimore city, may come up in Annapolis; and towns to fight proposed maglev project.
State Roundup, January 2, 2020
New laws took effect on Jan. 1, including minimum wage boost and one that bans insurers from penalizing organ donors; Baltimore ends year with 348 murders; Maryland’s prison population works a lot, but for not much pay; Gov. Hogan tells President Trump Maryland will continue to accept refugees; MarylandReporter founder Len Lazarick is stepping away from day-to-day operations, making way for Tim Maier to take the helm as executive editor and publisher; early data shows stream cleanup doesn’t help Bay as much as thought; Mike Griffith appointed to fill Del. Cassilly’s seat; lawmakers have just a few days before the start of the Annapolis session to raise campaign cash; MDGOP seizes Dems’ legal woes to stump for cash; Hogan pledges $3.8 million for Bikeways Program; and as B’more tries to control Airbnbs, fewer licensed than expected.
State Roundup, December 24, 2019
Cheryl Glenn, who resigned abruptly last week from her House of Delegates seat, has been charged with bribery and wire fraud in exchange for backing legislation related to cannabis, opioids and alcohol; while this is the third elected official charged by the U.S. Attorney’s office, he says political corruption isn’t its only focus; Gov. Hogan announces the last round of appointments to replace the scandal-riddled UMMS board; Watermen’s Association upbeat on oyster population; a Carroll County GOP committeeman resigns, but confusion delays replacement; and Tom Darden, former State House photographer, dies.
State Roundup, December 23, 2019
Washington County officials continue to appeal for a return of the federal subsidy to support Hagerstown Regional Airport; members of Frederick’s legislative delegation meet with law enforcement, prosecutors, ACLU over work on state gang laws; some lawmakers hopeful that, with new, younger leadership, state legislature will lean left; Speaker Jones steps up to repair long-standing problem of not enough women’s loos; Gov. Hogan gives state workers Christmas Eve off; U.S. Rep. Andy Harris cheered, jeered for stand against Trump impeachment; privacy advocates see problems in Baltimore City’s second testing of surveillance planes; and former Baltimore County Judge Cavanaugh dies.
State Roundup, December 19, 2019
Maryland’s congressmen vote along party lines in impeachment of President Trump; U.S. Rep. Hoyer delivers powerful speech just before impeachment vote; transportation giant reverses decision not to bid on Hogan highway plan, saying state’s political leaders have begun to demonstrate willingness to meet community, political concerns; Del. Cheryl Glenn resigns, sources say; Bethesda-based National Institutes of Health to get a $2.6 billion increase as part of massive year-end funding bill; Catherine Pugh charged with perjury for not disclosing ‘Healthy Holly’ business as a state senator; and Baltimore city tackles more fallout from ‘Healthy Holly’ scandal.
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