If betting on the Preakness ponies and getting sloshed at Pimlico has little appeal, Republican Sen. J.B. Jennings is offering a bang-up alternative Saturday afternoon.
At the Freestate Gun Range in Middle River, for a contribution to Jennings’ campaign you can have your picture taken with National Rifle Association President David Keene and then pick up your weapon of choice for shooting practice.
Former Gov. Bob Ehrlich was in professor mode Tuesday afternoon as he made his annual visit to a political persuasion class at Towson University taught by his friend, Professor Rick Vatz. Ehrlich, Mitt Romney’s Maryland campaign chair, prodded students on how they would sell their candidate — faults and all — no matter which side they supported.
Many audits of state agencies find wasted dollars, poor accounting controls, lax purchasing measures and even occasional fraud; so it’s worth pointing out that legislative auditors reviewing $2.6 billion of spending that went through the transportation secretary’s office found absolutely nothing. The good news comes as Transportation Secretary Beverley Swaim-Staley announced she’s leaving the post July 1, after almost three years in the job.
Lou Panos, who covered 40 sessions of the Maryland General Assembly during his 60 years as a working journalist, was inducted in the Hall of Fame of the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association Thursday night. He spent 20 years at the Associated Press, a reporter and columnist for the Evening Sun and spent five years as press secretary to Gov. Harry Hughes. He retired as political editor of Patuxent Publishing in 2007.
Moody’s Investor Services says Maryland counties could face a downgrade of their bond ratings due the state cuts in education aid and the new maintenance of effort law “limiting the ability of local governments to cut their own spending.”
Blogs and websites come and go these days, but Maryland got itself a new comprehensive news website on Friday with the launch of the Baltimore Post-Examiner. The site offers an eclectic mix of news, sports, entertainment, commentary and blogs.
Tally sheets from roll call votes in the House of Delegates have not been quickly posted on the General Assembly’s website, with clerks citing technical difficulties and an end-of-session pile up of votes. The clerk’s office and the IT staff apparently caught up with the backlog by Wednesday evening, with all but votes from Wednesday morning’s brief session now posted. MarylandReporter.com had asked about the absence of online roll calls votes earlier in the day.
Republicans and minority groups upset with new lines drawn for congressional districts are starting a petition drive to put the maps on the ballot in November. Newt Gingrich visits Annapolis. The Senate rejects a study for a third bay bridge.
About 1,800 Maryland seniors have received erroneous notices from the comptroller’s office saying they owe money for improperly overstating pension exclusions or claiming pension exclusions they were not entitled to on their 2008 e-filed tax returns. New letters have been sent out to tell seniors to correct the error and assure them they do not owe the state any additional money.
A controversial bill that would ban smoking in any vehicle with a passenger younger than 8 passed the state Senate 27-19 on Wednesday after debate that centered largely over the role of government.
