6th DISTRICT REDISTRICTING: State Sen. Joseph Getty says he will introduce legislation in Maryland’s upcoming special session on redistricting to preserve the 6th congressional district from changes made under a draft plan, according to an AP story in the Daily Record. Daniel Divilio of the Easton Star Democrat also wrote about the proposal.
The delegates who serve northwestern Montgomery County’s District 15 in the General Assembly say they aren’t focused on what a successful congressional run by state Sen. Robert Garagiola against longtime 6th District Rep. Roscoe Bartlett could mean for their own careers, Sarah Breitenbach reports for the Gazette.
And David Hill of the Washington Times reports that members of Maryland’s Tea Party movement are opposing the recommended congressional redistricting map that they say could further shift political power to the state’s Democratic majority.
VAN HOLLEN’S LAMENT: Josh Kurtz of Center Maryland writes about U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, who has been carrying water for the Democrats as only a loyal soldier could, yet isn’t getting any bit of thanks in the latest redistricting map.
NAME THE 3rd: Ben Pershing of the Post is asking readers to give a name to the proposed 3rd Congressional District, which looks more like a blood splatter from a gun shot wound than a cohesive district.
TRANSPORTATION STUDY: A study done by Morgan State University’s National Transportation Center indicates that to raise more money for roads, Marylanders support increasing registration fees — especially on vehicles that aren’t fuel efficient — but not increasing the gas tax, reports MarylandReporter.com’s Megan Poinski. The study will be presented at the university’s transportation symposium today.
GOING GREENER: Most Marylanders are in favor of paying $2 more a month for greener electricity produced through offshore wind, according to a new poll conducted by Gonzales Research, Megan Poinski writes for MarylandReporter.com.
TOBACCO TAX: Linda So of WMAR-TV reports that a new campaign will launch today to build public support for increasing Maryland’s tobacco tax by $1 per pack.
EX SEN. LENETT SUES: David Moon of Maryland Juice recounts a nasty 2010 Democratic primary as he speculates on a reason behind a lawsuit filed by former state Sen. Mike Lenett of Montgomery County against an ex-legislative aide. Lenett who lost the 2010 Democratic primary to Roger Manno, alleges an intentional tort has been committed against him by the former aide and five unnamed defendants.
DEATH PENALTY: In a Sun op-ed, Towson professor Richard Vatz argues for continued use of the death penalty.
BONGINO ENDORSED: Dan Bongino, a Republican candidate for Senate in Maryland, picked up the endorsement of Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, John Fritze blogs for the Sun.
The Post’s Ben Pershing blogs that Bongino, a former U.S. Secret Service agent, is the most active Republican candidate so far in the contest to challenge U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin in 2012.
OCCUPY BALTIMORE: Childs Walker of the Sun writes that 100 to 200 people a day are participating in the Occupy Baltimore protest. Here’s photos from yesterday, shot by the Sun’s Algerina Perna.
RED LINE FAST-TRACKED: The Sun’s Michael Dresser and John Fritze report that Baltimore’s proposed Red Line was among 14 infrastructure projects the federal government selected yesterday for expedited permitting and environmental review, a move that could reduce the time it takes to build the east-west light rail line by up to two years.
SOMERSET ADMINISTRATOR: Liz Holland of the Salisbury Daily Times writes that Somerset County Commissioners are expected to appoint a new county administrator today as a permanent replacement for Sam Boston, who died a year ago.
1ST OTB PARLOR SHUTS: Sunday was the last day of operation for Maryland’s first off-track betting parlor and the family-owned seafood restaurant that shared the building, as the Cracked Claw closed its doors for the last time, Patti Borda reports for the Frederick News Post.
EARLY RETIREMENT IN BA CO: The Baltimore County Council is set to discuss two big issues for public employees at a 2 p.m. work session today: An early-retirement buyout plan and legislation to change how the county resolves labor disputes, blogs Alison Knezevich for the Sun.
HAIRSTON CONTRACT NOT RENEWED: A month before longtime Baltimore County School Superintendent Joe Hairston said he will step down when his contract ends in June, the school board voted in private not to extend his employment, Liz Bowie writes for the Sun.
SNEED WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN: Political newcomer Shannon Sneed, who lost to incumbent Baltimore City Councilman Warren Branch by just 43 votes, is taking her write-in campaign door to door, writes Luke Broadwater for the Sun.
PARKING FINES IN HOWARD: Parking violators in Howard County might want to address those overdue fines, or they could be collecting their vehicles from the impound lot and paying towing, storage and late fees, too, writes Mary Gail Hare of The Sun. The County Council is considering a bill that would authorize the Police Department to tow a vehicle for even one parking ticket that has gone unpaid for 90 days.
Why don’t the Governor and General Assembly stop taking (stealing is such a harsh word) money from the transportation fund, and repay the oustanding withdrawals. Once we see how much money we already have, we can determine if we need more funding to repair our transportation infrastructure. How do we know that increased revenue (from any source) won’t also be diverted.