The Maryland Senate passed a final budget and over $300 million in tax hikes shortly after noon Wednesday. The House starts debate on the bill Tuesday afternoon. A video shot throughout the day on Monday shows the demonstrators opposed to the tax hikes and spending increases, and a rally by public employee unions supporting the bills. [...more]
Gov. Martin O’Malley’s congressional redistricting plan is whizzing toward enactment, as the Senate passed the map Tuesday 33-13 with one Democrat and all dozen Republicans in the body voting against it.The House Rules Committee quickly passed the measure with little discussion on a party-line 18-5 vote, with all Democrats voting for the bill. The House plans several hours of debate Wednesday. [...more]
The state Senate is set to vote today to approve Gov. Martin O’Malley’s congressional redistricting plan after rejecting a Republican alternative Monday night. The governor’s plan puts almost a third of Marylanders into new congressional districts, and increases the number of Democratic voters in the 6th Congressional District. [...more]
A bill to grant the right for people discriminated against in places of public accommodation — like restaurants, theatres and hotels — is being smothered by Senate amendments seeking to water down the bill. On Tuesday, Democratic Senate leaders and committee chairmen joined Republicans in passing an amendment by Sen. Allan Kittleman, R-Howard-Carroll, to study the measure. The amendment will be reconsidered Wednesday, but Senate President Mike Miller told proponents they might want to find some alternative to passing the bill, which has had prolonged debate on five different days. [...more]
Do you want to kill our budget amendments tonight, or save the steamroller for tomorrow? That was the key question the 12-member Senate Republican caucus had to answer Tuesday evening as the Senate debated the governor’s $34 billion budget. [...more]
All 47 senators were present during the debate on same-sex marriage in the Senate Thursday night, but when the vote was called, one senator — Sen. Joanne Benson — was not in the chamber to cast her vote against it. At Friday morning’s legislative session, Benson attempted to rectify that. [...more]
Felicia Howard talked with new and old Senate leaders after the first General Assembly session opened on Wednesday. Speaking with President Pro Tem Nathaniel McFadden and freshman Sen. Ronald Young, Howard discussed historic relevance and plans for the 90-day session. [...more]
Tuesday’s election did not alter the Maryland General Assembly in a major way, though Republicans did pick up six seats in the House of Delegates and they lost two in the Senate. House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Mike Miller, the Democratic presiding officers, said they expected little change in their chambers or their leadership teams, including committee chairs. [...more]
The Senate has decided to stop approving in future years the local bond bills that serve as the state's version of legislative earmarks, as it passed this year's capital budget over to the House on Wednesday. As the senators took up the state's capital spending Tuesday -- the portion of Gov. Martin O'Malley's budget that largely uses borrowed money to pay for projects like roads and schools -- two amendments came up targeting the $15 million that lawmakers divvy up to send back to their districts. [...more]
Some senators are questioning bills narrowly tailored to secure insurance and pension benefits to a small number of constituents with unusual circumstances. The Senate passed measures last week preventing pension allowances from going down and allowing surviving family members to cash in on disability benefits in the case of a person dying before the state is able to process the application. [...more]
