We've got updates on what's open, what's closed (The General Assembly is) and what the cleanup might cost. But there's much more on sex offender laws, wine shipment and unemployment taxes.
SNOWMAGEDDON: The weather dominated weekend coverage. We’ll give you some highlights from across the state right here. Check out this page at The Baltimore Sun for a running update on what’s open and closed, and how the state is digging out.
For one thing, the General Assembly is closed due to icy conditions, The Associated Press reports. Annie Linskey at The Sun writes that it looks like this has never happened before.
It looks like the state has already busted its budget for snow removal, with more on the way, according to the Washington Examiner.
Frank Roylance had some great coverage for The Sun on his Maryland Weather blog, which you don’t see often on MarylandReporter.com. He reports that we might be digging out again on Wednesday. Roylance also had the hot story that BWI airport doesn’t have an official snowfall total, because a federal contractor messed up.
And what would the snow coverage be without some good video? The Diamondback has a video of a campus snowball fight. WJZ has lots of stuff, as do WMAR, Fox45 and WBAL.
Here’s the local scoop from Annapolis, Frederick, Westminster, Prince George’s County (and College Park), Hagerstown, Salisbury, Washington, D.C., and Rockville.
UNEMPLOYMENT: Nick Sohr of The Daily Record reports that Gov. Martin O’Malley’s plan to offer unemployment tax relief to businesses could be dead after several groups urged the state to try to conserve what money it has left in its strained benefits fund. Julie Bykowicz at The Sun had the story too.
WINE: Sen. Joan Carter Conway, the Baltimore City Democrat whose committee will review a proposal to allow direct shipment of wine to consumers, says the measure isn’t going anywhere this year, according to Julie Bykowicz at The Sun.
SEX OFFENDERS: Del. Norman Conway, a Salisbury Democrat, wants to raise the age definition for child sex victims from 13 to 15, and make it easier to track sex offenders, Greg Latshaw reports in The (Salisbury) Daily Times.
HISTORIC TAX CREDIT: The Sun’s editorial board says O’Malley’s plan to expand eligibility for the state’s historic rehab tax credit is a “bribe” for legislators, but an effective strategy to get the job done.
LIQUOR FEES: Meg Tully has the scoop in the Frederick News-Post about the county legislative delegation’s deliberation over proposed liquor license fee increases.
MONTGOMERY RACES: Patricia Murret writes in The Gazette about a brewing battle in Montgomery County for Sen. Jennie Forehand’s seat and how that will affect the House.
JUDGE PAY: The Maryland Judiciary won’t ask for a pay increases for judges, Steve Lash writes for The Daily Record. (The Senate Budget and Taxation Committee rejected the raise for judges Friday, MarylandReporter.com reported.)
WIND POWER: Del. Wendell Beitzel, R-Western Maryland, is pushing the state to standardize its regulations for wind turbines, Kevin Spradlin reports for the Cumberland Times-News.