State officials seek federal funds to aid in building Red and Purple lines even as MTA hopes for P3 for Red Line; Speaker Busch ponders tax cuts for the next session; first lady heads to Annapolis for a veterans bill signing; Baltimore and Arundel counties OK storm water fees; former U.S. Sen. Tydings talks gun control, the NRA and what happened to his political career; meanwhile, new legislation has some gun owners worried that they won’t be able to buy weapons; cost of Gov. O’Malley’s Super Bowl security was $5,627; PSC to hear Pepco rate increase proposal; and state GOP scores a coup, will bring U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, former VP candidate, to June fund-raiser.
Month: April 2013
State credit cards at university used to dodge purchasing rules, auditors find
One department at the University of Maryland Baltimore was found to have misused state-issued credit cards to dodge purchasing rules, and four people were using two credit cards issued to only two people, according to state auditors.
An audit report released Monday said purchases made on these two corporate purchasing cards, which had monthly limits of $400,000 or more, “were artificially split in order to bypass formal procurement policies,” which generally require competitive bids for purchases over $5,000.
State Roundup, April 15, 2013
Legislature gives some teeth to Maryland open meetings laws; campaign finance reform also gets some bite; speaking of bite, while the dog bite legislation never went anywhere this session, it’s still a hot topic and will likely come back next year; state budget returns Arts Council funding to pre-recession levels; transportation issues are front and center this year as officials seek private partnerships to build Purple Line; state bans ginseng harvest on public lands; as Gov. O’Malley national profile rises like a hot air balloon, some detractors take aim; U.S. Rep. Ruppersberger talks about potential run for governor, which could reshape an already competitive primary; after an interesting private and public life, Chief Judge Bell gets ready to retire; Carroll commissioner’s prayer called political; and former Arundel County Exec Leopold is out of jail.
Support for Md. workforce training program unites business and workers
You might not expect a CEO and a person without a job to agree on legislation, but there are exceptions. Marylanders Mark Rice and Paul Behler live in very different circumstances — Rice is the owner of a Baltimore City manufacturing plant and Behler is one of the city’s unemployed. But both support a new state program signed into law Tuesday that will fund the training of Maryland’s workforce.
State Roundup, April 12, 2013
Opinionators – and the New York Times – assess Gov. O’Malley’s victories this past session as he considers stepping onto the national stage in a run for the White House; the gas tax hike finally passed but in light of history, should it have been a surprise?; while the NRA vows to sue Maryland over pending gun control laws, Marylanders still see a need for an assault weapons ban; now that the session is finished, the fund-raising season begins; Lt. Gov. Brown lines up possible running mates in his campaign for the governorship; group files Open Meetings complaint over Baltimore City’s closed meeting with new speed camera contractor; and Maryland’s congressional contingent pushes for Prince George’s FBI HQ.
Contractor salaries questioned as state moves to paper ballot voting system
State election officials are planning to spend up to $1.2 million to hire just five contractors working for nine months, a high-dollar figure that has shocked key lawmakers and voter advocacy groups watching as the state transitions from touch-screen voting to paper ballots.
State Roundup, April 11, 2013
Gov. O’Malley says now he’ll take some time to consider running for president; meanwhile U.S. Rep. Ruppersberger considers running for governor; 2013 legislation passage rate pretty much normal; petition group polls people to decide which newly passed legislation to bring to referendum and it vets petition language with Board of Elections; bill making cell phone use while driving a primary offense goes into effect Oct. 1; as legislative session ends, it’s not just the lawmakers who can breathe again; UM senior creates website as conversation platform with elected officials; national gun group goes after small Maryland town over firearms restrictions; and Dr. Ben Carson pulls out of commencement speech.
Final action on bills: updates on legislation covered earlier this session
Here are updates on the General Assembly’s action on bills we covered earlier this session, including open meetings, Obamacare, campaign finance reform and the soft-shell crab sandwich
Unusual bill grants opens access to retail restrooms
Legislators work on big issues like gun control, the death penalty and taxes, but then there are hundreds of other bills addressing smaller problems that fly under the radar. The governor just signed a bill into law that expands access to an “employees only” bathroom in a retail store for individuals suffering from Crohn’s disease or other medical conditions that require immediate access to a restroom.
State Roundup, April 10, 2013
The National Rifle Association and state conservatives are taking aim at Maryland’s new gun regulations; while Gov. O’Malley signed 152 bills into law on Tuesday, repeal of the death penalty and the gun regulations weren’t among them; Maryland’s liberals may find a high cost to passing a progressive agenda; local news outlets took a closer look at legislation specific to their communities: Of Carroll, Arundel, Frederick and Garrett, some are winners, some are not; one Baltimore County councilwoman is seeking to delay the vote on its local, state-mandated stormwater fees; and Gov. O’Malley will head to Denmark to speak on progressive governing.
Recent Comments