BILL SIGNING: Thursday marks the third and final bill-signing day for legislation passed during the General Assembly. According to Baltimore Sun reporter Michael Dresser, Gov. Martin O’Malley intends to sign a measure requiring drivers to maintain a 3-foot buffer zone...
Month: May 2010
Analysis: Who are the most liberal legislators? Endorsements make it easy
You could come up with a rating system of votes to identify the most liberal members of the Maryland General Assembly. Or you could just do it the easy way, and rely on the early endorsements on Wednesday by Progressive Maryland, the broad-based coalition of labor and other activist groups on the left.
Analysis: Another way to look at spending by Ehrlich, O’Malley
O’Malley and Ehrlich differ on how much they’ve spent, but Len Lazarick has come upon a new comparison that doesn’t count money put aside in “rainy day” funds for future budgets.
Lottery asks for $99 million, five-year equipment deal
The State Lottery Agency is asking to spend up to $99 million over five years to continue its deal with the company that operates the system used to operate almost all of its systems statewide.
The agreement, coming before the Board of Public Works at its Wednesday meeting, would come on top of an $81 million agreement that’s set to expire next June. The contractor, Georgia-based Scientific Games International, has been working under that deal since 2005.
Liquor discounts on the way as BPW approves settlement
A federal court decision to toss Maryland’s system of alcohol price regulation became final Wednesday, as the Board of Public Works agreed to pay $200,000 to put a decade-old dispute to rest.
The decision means liquor wholesalers will likely begin offering volume discounts to larger retailers, which some smaller stores believe will undercut their prices.
State Roundup May 19, 2010
LIGHT RAIL: Former Gov. Robert Ehrlich says the state cannot afford two light rail projects -- Baltimore's Red Line and the Washington suburbs' Purple Line -- supported by Gov. Martin O’Malley, according to the Associated Press. Here’s Baltimore Sun transportation...
Authority to recommend troubled Prince George’s hospitals stay in public hands
The state authority tasked with finding a buyer for the county-owned Prince George’s County health care system will recommend this week that the troubled facilities stay in public hands for now, the panel’s chairman said.
The Prince George’s Hospital Center and two other associated hospitals rely on $12 million in state money and $9 million from the county to operate each year. The Prince George’s County Hospital Authority was set up by the General Assembly in 2008, after the system nearly shut down due to financial difficulties.
State Roundup May 18, 2010
Today we have accusations of campaign misconduct, a U.S. Senator pushes to move FBI headquarters, perhaps into Maryland. And we try to untangle fact from fiction in the governor's race. CAMPAIGN "BULLYING": State Republican Party Chairwoman Audrey Scott accused Gov....
Has Freakness found the right mix to save the Preakness?
Maryland wants to preserve the struggling horse industry, but ultimately it falls to the businesspeople to make the right calls. Preakness is a make-or-break source of revenue, so they need to find a way to maximize the once-a-year benefit. With the Mug Club infield, the Jockey Club may have found the right mix.
Deal with liquor discounters set for state sign-off
A decade-old lawsuit challenging Maryland’s regulation of alcohol prices appears headed for a final resolution Wednesday, which means larger liquor stores could soon secure lower prices for their products.
The Board of Public Works is set to review a settlement between Comptroller Peter Franchot’s office and the company that owns Beltway Fine Wine and Spirits in Towson. The state has agreed not to continue its challenge of a 2004 decision to throw out laws that prevented liquor retailers from getting volume discounts.
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