Month: May 2014

Cigarette tax hike advocates say they’ve lined up 200 General Assembly candidates to push for $1 a pack hike; state district courts seek bail review attorneys at $50 an hour; police in Maryland will be first in the U.S. to get training in understanding people with developmental disabilities – from people with such disabilities; O’Malley speaks at UM College Park graduation, gets a selfie with President Wallace Loh; O’Malley to return to New Hampshire; U.S. Sen. Cardin to head to Ukraine for elections monitoring; General Assembly colleagues of Del. Jon Cardin – who support Brian Frosh for attorney general – blast his voting absences; Gansler joins court staffers protest; Gansler says attorney in office may have written opinion on unconstitutionality of portion of O’Malley signed budget bill – he just signed it without reading; Prince George’s County is facing a $62.5 million budget shortfall; and Arundel Exec Neuman’s divorce case won’t be sealed.

George, Craig team up to complain about rival Hogan’s fund-raising relationship to Change Maryland; meanwhile, Hogan could qualify for public financing; Open Meetings panel cites violations by health insurance marketplace board; motorists group says Maryland exploits its drivers with cameras, tolls, taxes and laws; Basu calls state economic recovery soft; deputy insurance commissioner takes job with national organization; Rep. Cummings to lead Dems on panel probing Benghazi attack; voter registration deadline for primary looms; Realtors back Hogan, Brown in GOP, Dem primaries; and Lollar focuses on tax cuts in his campaign for governor.

Task force recommends post-Labor Day start for Maryland public schools, an issue that Comptroller Franchot has long been touting for economic boost; study finds shortcomings in public transportation in Central Maryland; Federation for the Blind sues Maryland Elections officials for not approving easier absentee voting method; gubernatorial candidate Gansler ad targets middle class taxes, government waste; Brown, running for governor, sidesteps giving opinion on O’Malley’s veto of wind project ban; attorney general candidate Braveboy says her views on gay rights have evolved; and questions arise over Baltimore County Exec Kamenetz and developer’s campaign warchest.

Comptroller Franchot expects large budget shortfall; In the governor’s race, Hogan filed for bankcruptcy in 1994; Mizeur and Gansler will debate at WBFF-TV without Brown; Mizeur introduces ad, seeks funds to air it; Gansler blasts Brown mailer attack his proposal on corporate tax cuts; In the attorney general’s race, Frosh, Braveboy take off the gloves over Cardin’s voting record; in the pro-life world, you either like or hate Sen. Brinkley; and President Obama touts midterm elections for Democratic issues.

Gov. O’Malley vetoes bill that would have delayed Eastern Shore wind project, citing climate change among reasons; Maryland makes a push to lure more cybersecurity firms into state; state laws fail to prevent chronic drunk driving; Alex Mooney – remember him ? – wins a crowded GOP primary in West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District race; Brochin, DeJuliis campaign hard to win the Dem primary in state Senate race and apartment building owner defends DeJuliis’ sign action; attorney general candidates to debate tonight; in his gubernatorial race, Ron George pushes economic development; Mizeur’s running mate doles out the criticism of competitors; Brown’s military service remains important part of his life; Gansler launches new environmental ad; and Frederick County resident files Open Meetings complaint against commissioners while Compliance Board finds Carroll Commissioners in violation of Open Meetings law.