Commentary
Opinion: Fatherlessness, violence and political cowardice
With Father’s Day on Sunday, Towson University Professor Rick Vatz returns to his persistent theme about the negative impact of fatherlessness.
General Assembly
32-15 was the number to play as legislature overrides vetoes
The Pick Four number to play Thursday in the legislative lottery was 32-15. In three successive party line votes in the Maryland Senate, that was the vote tally Democrats played to overcome Gov. Larry Hogan’s vetoes of bills to raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour and to allow Maryland schools to open before Labor Day, overturning the governor’s executive order.
Commentary
Opinion: Baseless attacks on the restaurant industry
The Restaurant Association of Maryland responds to Progressive Maryland’s commentary attacking its polling and credibility. When Larry Stafford of Progressive Maryland implies that the Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM) is deceptive with regard to the arguments we make to policymakers, writes Melvin Thompson, I have to draw the line. His attack is baseless, unwarranted and shows he has little understanding of business economics.
General Assembly
Opinion: Responding to the restaurant poll — the truth about raising Maryland’s minimum wage
Progressive Maryland responds to polling about increasing Maryland’s minimum wage to $15 by the Restaurant Association of Maryland. When you ask a fake question, you get a fake answer, Larry Stafford says.. The poll is presented as if it were unbiased and scientific, rather than informed by misleading questions designed by lobbyists to deliver the results they want.
Commentary
Opinion: Maryland needs strong steps to protect online privacy
State legislatures across the country are questioning how to respond to our national epidemic of privacy violations. Maryland’s Cybersecurity Council is suggesting answers in hearings this week on a new Online Consumer Protection Act.
Commentary
Opinion: $15 minimum wage will have big impact on small Md. businesses and employees
If Maryland raises its minimum wage to a $15 an hour, a woman-owned company providing traffic control services in Glen Burnie will have to figure out how to cover the half of a million dollars needed to cover the increase.
Commentary
Opinion: It’s time to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board
Across Maryland, people struggle to pay for the prescription drugs they need to lead healthy lives or even stay alive. Prices keep going up, while drug companies spend more on marketing and reap enormous profits. That’s why we are sponsoring legislation to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board that will have the authority to review and set fair and affordable maximum drug costs in the state.
General Assembly
Bill mandates governor to fund Attorney General’s Office
The bill is titled the Protection of Marylanders’ Rights Act of 2019, but it might also be dubbed the Attorney General’s Budget Protection Act, since it seeks to keep the governor from underfunding the AG’s budget. The legislation is part of the long-running skirmishes between Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and Democrat Attorney General Brian Frosh over what cases the AG should pursue.
Homepage Featured
Rockfish population in trouble, new study finds; catch limits likely
Striped bass or rockfish, one of the most prized species in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic Coast, are being overfished according to a new assessment of the stock’s health — a finding that will likely trigger catch reductions for a species long touted as a fisheries management success.
chicken litter
After millions spent, solution for excess manure still elusive
For the last few years, Jason Lambertson’s farm near Pocomoke City on the Lower Eastern Shore has been home to an expensive experiment. The third-generation farmer received nearly $1 million in state funding to build a giant poultry waste converter and distribute its main product: fertilizer. But profits have yet to arrive.