Today we have lots of coverage of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s State of the State address, with links to a dozen print and broadcast stories; there’s a big legal victory for the NAACP, and texting while driving returns. Also reports on proposed laws on sex offenders, wine shipping and public defenders.
STATE OF THE STATE: Gov. Martin O’Malley gave his annual State of the State speech Tuesday, but this year he had no new proposals, save his jobs legislation, Brian Witte reports for the Associated Press.
Julie Bykowicz of The Baltimore Sun notes the speech’s focus on jobs, while Erin Julius of The (Hagerstown) Herald-Mail offers her own recap of the speech, along with reactions from Western Maryland legislators. Scott Dance of the Baltimore Business Journal looks at the speech through the lens of O’Malley’s reelection campaign, and Hayley Peterson of the Washington Examiner points out that some Democrats are skeptical of O’Malley’s assertions on the end of the recession and job creation.
The Washington Post also has a recap, and Adam Bednar has reactions from Carroll County officials and business leaders for the Carroll County Times. And Meg Tully also has reactions from the local Frederick County delegation in the Frederick News Post. Andy Green writes an editorial on The Sun’s Second Opinion blog, describing both parties in a “state of denial.” And Julie Bykowicz at The Sun has a retrospective with some of the key lines, and Republican responses, from O’Malley’s four State of the State addresses. John Rydell has video for WBFF, and Robert Lang of WBAL-AM has audio highlights from O’Malley’s speech, along with reactions from Republicans and Democrats.
“DRIVING WHILE BLACK”: A Maryland appeals court has ordered the Maryland State Police to turn over about 10,000 documents relating to accusations of racial profiling by state troopers as part of the “Driving While Black” case between the state police and the NAACP, Andrea Siegel reports for The Baltimore Sun.
TEXTING: Lawmakers are considering a bill that would expand the ban on texting while driving, passed last year, to prevent drivers from reading text messages as well, Kai Jackson reports for WJZ. Last year’s proposal had a similar provision, but it was stripped from the bill.
RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Baltimore City Council President and future mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was Stephanie Rawlings-Batman Tuesday in Annapolis. She was there promoting her legislative agenda, which centers around crime-fighting, Kate Amara reports for WBAL-TV.
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY: Adam Pagnucco at Maryland Politics Watch has excellent detail on the Maryland Democratic Party’s media strategy for this year’s election. It is based on the Obama campaign strategy.
RAIL STIMULUS: The state didn’t get $1.7 billion in federal funding for a maglev train between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Michael Dresser reports on his Getting There blog for The Sun. No big surprise, because there’s a state law on the books prohibiting Maryland from spending its own money on such a project.
BALTIMORE MAYOR: State Prosecutor Robert Rohrbaugh blasted Mayor Sheila Dixon in a memo, describing her attitude as “unrepentant” and “defiant,” Annie Linskey reports in The Sun.
WINE SHIPPING: A majority of members in both the House and Senate have co-sponsored bills to allow direct shipment of wine to Marylanders, advocates will declare at a press conference today. Inside Charm City reposts the press release.
SEX OFFENDER LAWS: Kenny Burns at Maryland Politics today has some audio of Republican Sen. Nancy Jacobs and Del. Michael Smigiel discussing some of O’Malley’s sex offender laws.
PUBLIC DEFENDER BOARD: A bill in the House would increase the size and geographic representation on the Board of Trustees of the Office of the Public Defender, Brendan Kearney writes for The Daily Record. The proposal, sponsored by Del. Curt Anderson, D-Baltimore, went unquestioned and unopposed in its hearing.
GM JOBS: Mark Newgent at Red Maryland calculates that it cost Maryland $577,500 per job to bring new General Motors manufacturing to White Marsh.
MATHIAS: Vice President Joe Biden eulogized former U.S. Sen. Charles “Mac” Mathias at his funeral Tuesday, saying he brought out the best in people wherever he went, the Frederick News Post reports. Paul West and The Sun have more.
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