The gap between the promises states have made for public employees’ retirement benefits and the money set aside to pay for them grew to at least $1.26 trillion in fiscal year 2009—a 26% increase in one year—according to a new report from the Pew Center for the States. Maryland ranks below more than half the states in its level of funding.
Len Lazarick
State Roundup, April 29, 2011
Constellation Energy and Exelon Corp. announce plans for merger, moving Fortune 500 HQ from Baltimore, but creating jobs; pension rate of return stays at 7.75%; Maryland ranks 19th in pension losses; Harris tells seniors Medicare can fix unsustainable spending plan; Robert Summers new Environment secretary; Cummings endorses Rawlings-Blake; talk of possible tax hikes may begin at roundtable on transportation funding; anti-in-state tuition for illegals may face insurmountable time and money challenges.
Budget struggles at State Archives leave tattered art treasures
Maryland’s tight budget has prevented proper care of many items in the state art collection. “We have not ever gotten adequate funding for the maintenance side of dealing with the collection,” said Edward Papenfuse, the head of the archives. “A painting is in many ways almost a living and breathing object.”
Blog: Gansler, Franchot in early stages of 2014 race
Attorney General Doug Gansler sent me a letter the other day. Real snail-mail with a stamp and all, and it wasn’t a “cease and desist” order.
It was a “Dear Friend” campaign solicitation, thanking me “so very much for your continued trust” and noting in the very first sentence that in November he got “the most votes ever cast for a Maryland statewide candidate,” 1.3 million.
Money in 2010 governor’s race dropped, but O’Malley raised two-thirds more than Ehrlich
Although there was not as much money flowing in the 2010 gubernatorial election, Gov. Martin O’Malley and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown got the same amount of campaign donations last year as they did in 2006, according to a new report. This amounted to $5.5 million, or two-thirds more than Republican opponents Bob Ehrlich and Mary Kane.
Environmental efforts focus on poultry litter
The poultry industry helps drive the economy of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, but poultry litter — chicken manure — has been blamed as one of the greatest contributors to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. Large producers, farmers, and state initiatives alike are working together to lessen the industry’s environmental impact while preserving the businesses.
Tea Party gearing up for in-state tuition referendum
Tea Partiers across Maryland are saying the referendum effort to repeal newly passed legislation allowing illegal immigrants to receive in-state college tuition rates is exactly the fight they’ve been waiting for.
“There’s no question we are going to be involved,” said Potomac Tea Party blogger Ann Corcoran. “This is an opportunity to broaden our reach to Democrats, independents and those who see this as a fairness issue, and we see this as a fabulous opportunity to organize conservatives across the state of Maryland in preparation for 2012.”
Photo gallery: William Donald Schaefer lies in state in Annapolis
Blog: Schaefer’s last brief trip to Annapolis
All in all, he’d rather have stayed in Baltimore.
William Donald Schaefer returned to the State House on Monday in the first stage of his three-day funeral. It was a place he never really wanted to be, but that’s where the politicians wanted him to be.
Big lobbying shops can afford to wine and dine legislators; nonprofits priced out
Four-digit tabs for dinner parties are common because of ethics reform passed in 1999 that requires lobbyists to invite an entire legislative “unit,” such as a committee or delegation – an attempt to snuff out the perception of lobbyists peddling inappropriate influence by taking individual lawmakers to dinners.
While bringing greater transparency, it also gives influential lobbyists and their wealthy clients what observers say is an apparent upper hand over smaller lobbying shops and nonprofit groups whose clients lack deep pockets to fund receptions.
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