State Roundup, December 17, 2009

Among today’s top stories: State revenues stop their free fall, O’Malley, Miller and Busch talk budgets and taxes on MPT, and Prince George’s schools are facing big cuts.

State revenues have stopped their free fall, the Board of Revenue Estimates reported Wednesday, but Gov. Martin O’Malley is calling for more federal aid to cure the expected deficit. Read the versions of this story in The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun and in the The Associated Press. Fox 45 has a video report.

O’Malley, Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch all appeared on Maryland Public TV Wednesday, giving their views on taxes and other issues. John Wagner has a rundown in the Post blog, and WBAL radio has audio.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation faces challenges with renewed federal focus on the Chesapeake Bay, David Fahrenthold reports in The Washington Post.

Prince George’s County schools face job cuts, furloughs and larger classes under the budget proposed Wednesday, Nelson Hernandez reports in the Post.

State Insurance Commissioner Ralph Tyler, O’Malley’s former counsel in Baltimore, is becoming chief counsel at the Food and Drug Administration, according to reports in The Sun and The Daily Record.

Julie Bykowicz in The Sun reports on approval of the deal for Ports America to take over the Seagirt container terminal in Baltimore from the state.

The Board of Public Works delayed a vote to approve a contract with GTECH Corp. to provide the new central computer for the slots operation, Nick Sohr reports in The Daily Record.  John Rydell on Fox 45 reports with video.

The Army Corps of Engineers is giving baby oysters a new place to grow in the Severn River, Pamela Wood reports in the Capital.

Kevin Spradlin in the Cumberland Times-News gives a more detailed take on the possibility of slots at Rocky Gap.

Another impact of state furlough days on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve: no civil weddings on those days, reports the Cumberland Times-News.

About The Author

Len Lazarick

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Len Lazarick was the founding editor and publisher of MarylandReporter.com and is currently the president of its nonprofit corporation and chairman of its board He was formerly the State House bureau chief of the daily Baltimore Examiner from its start in April 2006 to its demise in February 2009. He was a copy editor on the national desk of the Washington Post for eight years before that, and has spent decades covering Maryland politics and government.

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