State Roundup, November 9, 2009

Listen to this article

Constellation Energy and Electricite de France finished their $4.5 billion nuclear deal Wednesday, The Washington Post reports.  The deal was complete Friday, a week after the Maryland Public Service Commission approved it with conditions.

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon’s begins her trial Monday as she defends seven counts revolving around the alleged theft and misuse of gift cards intended for needy families, Annie Linskey reports in The Baltimore Sun.

Erin Cox at The Capital has a follow-up analysis of how Josh Cohen’s election as Annapolis mayor could shape the Anne Arundel County Council’s debate on slots at Arundel Mills mall. Cohen, a slots opponent, is now slated to leave the council just after a crucial vote on slots zoning.

Peter Jensen writes on The Sun’s opinion page that the delay in sending out speed camera citations may not be in the original spirit of the law that set the cameras up.

The finger pointing has begun in Montgomery County over the state’s rejection of a move to shift general money into schools to fulfill state funding requirements, Leah Fabel writes in the Washington Examiner. Councilman Mike Knapp says the county “did this to itself.”

The federal government is expected to release a preliminary plan for restoring the Chesapeake Bay on Monday, WBAL Radio reports with the Associated Press. The plan could include more regulation of livestock farms and stormwater runoff.

Paul West reported on The Sun’s “Maryland Politics” blog Friday about the likely confirmation of Judge Andre Davis on the federal Court of appeals.

Frank Kratovil, an Eastern Shore Democrat, and Roscoe Bartlett, a Western Maryland Republican, were the only two members of the Maryland House delegation to vote against a health care overhaul bill on Saturday. The Post reports.

David Lublin at Maryland Politics Watch says he thinks House Speaker Nancy Pelosi might have had more votes in reserve, which could account for Kratovil’s “no” vote.

Josh Kurtz in this month’s Corridor Inc. column talks about the unexpected low-profile strategy of Attorney General Doug Gansler.

The new Western Maryland Regional Medical Center in Cumberland got a warm reception from residents, Michael Sawyers reports in the Cumberland Times-News. The project, which opened this weekend, is seen as critical to Allegany County’s economy.