Tag: Kumar Barve
Lawmakers and environmental advocates team up to support coal transition legislation
Bipartisanship was on full display Tuesday as Maryland lawmakers and environmental advocates came together to support legislation that would phase out the burning of coal at the state’s six coal-fired power plants and provide money to take care of workers who would be affected by the transition.
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New Faces Part 3: Montgomery County’s Indian immigrants feel the pull of politics
With Donald Trump in the White House, Del. Aruna Miller said the same kind of frustration she felt after the 2000 election is growing in Montgomery County’s large Indian American community. Although it’s a demographic that typically lags in political engagement, Miller says these constituents are expressing more desire to get involved.
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Matthews tops Maryland’s 8th district race in fundraising
Former Marriott executive and news anchor Kathleen Matthews has pulled ahead in fundraising in the Democratic contest to fill Rep. Chris Van Hollen’s Montgomery County-based congressional seat. State Sen. Jamie Raskin was second, and Del. Kumar Barve was third.
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Extra tax break for ‘House of Cards’ folds in final hour
Six lawmakers, three from each chamber of the Maryland General Assembly, standing in a ring in the House of Delegates lounge at a half hour before midnight, vehemently haggling over a single bill.
They had only 30 minutes before the close of the 2014 session, and they needed to find middle ground on legislation that would grant the popular Netflix drama an additional $3.5 million in tax dollars.
Read MoreHouse rejects attempt to force vote on legislative pay raise
A Republican attempt to force legislators to vote on their own pay raise was defeated in the House of Delegates Tuesday, with Democrats overwhelmingly rejecting the move.
Read MoreGas tax hike on fast track as House gives preliminary OK
Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposed gasoline tax hike that was late arriving for this year’s General Assembly session is now clearly on a fast track for passage. The House of Delegates gave it preliminary approval Wednesday night — just five days after its first hearing. The Democrat-dominated House easily beat back Republican attempts to modify the bill, HB1515, indicating more than enough Democrats are on board to pass it as early as Thursday.
Read MoreProposed voter ID law again draws hot debate in Annapolis
Republican legislators are back again, pushing controversial voter identification laws after failed attempts in prior years.
Sponsored by Republican Dels. Nic Kipke, Kathy Afzali and 32 other Republicans, but no Democrats, the contentious bill sparked heated debate last week in the House Ways & Means Committee.
Read MorePenalties for closed meetings have bipartisan support
Del. Dan Morhaim, D-Baltimore County, introduced a bill Thursday that grants additional enforcement powers to the Open Meetings Compliance Board, allowing it to levy fines and provide court testimony against government bodies that illegally deny people access to public events. This bipartisan legislation, HB331, has 18 co-sponsors, including House Majority Leader Kumar Barve and 10 other Democrats and Minority Leader Tony O’Donnell and six other Republicans.
Read MoreGambling win gives Senate president the ‘sine die’ he expected 4 months ago
By the bare minimum of 71 votes, the House of Delegates Monday night gave Senate President Mike Miller the kind of “sine die” adjournment he had expected April 9: The delegates passed a bill asking voters in November to approve table games and a sixth gambling casino in Prince George’s County.
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Gambling expansion sent to House with major tax breaks for casinos
In a mostly party-line, 13-to-7 vote Monday night, the House of Delegates Ways & Means Committee approved gaming expansion legislation that included what had been the major stumbling block for House leaders when they derailed a similar deal back in June. The bill gives tax breaks for casino operators just three months after legislators approved income tax hikes on 300,000 Marylanders.
Read MoreHouse passes final budget and tax hikes, with some Democrats opposed
The action on the budget and tax hikes was all over but the shouting by Republicans as the House of Delegates approved a final spending plan, shifting half of pension costs to the counties, and raising state income taxes on people making over $100,000 per year. Republicans opposed the move, joined by 10 Democrats against the budget change and pension move, and 18 opposed to the tax increases.
Read MoreBudget stalemate persists as Senate and House fail to compromise
NOW WITH VIDEO
It’s called Sine Die — without a day — but it actually might be doomsday, with budget cuts substituting for the tax hikes House and Senate refuse to agree on.
With the end of the legislative session 10 hours away, members of the Senate and House of Delegates met again and decided not to compromise.
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