EDUCATION & INCOME: In the American dream a child can rise above a low-income background to go to college and then a high-paying job, but research by a Johns Hopkins University sociologist over a quarter of a century shows it rarely happens in Baltimore City, Liz Bowie reports in the Sun.
PRAYER PLAINTIFFS DROP BAN REQUEST: Plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit challenging Christian prayers at Carroll County commissioner meetings have dropped a request for a temporary ban on the practice. The plaintiffs, a humanist group and residents who say they feel alienated by the prayers, said that instead they intend to ask the judge to make a final judgment in the case. The commissioners have already filed papers making the same request, reports Ian Duncan in the Sun.
PARROTT QUOTES CHURCHILL: Kaustuv Basu of the Hagerstown Herald Mail reports that, after failing to gather enough signatures to petition a bill to the ballot that seeks to end discrimination against transgender people, Del. Neil Parrott quoted Winston Churchill in a message to his supporters, exhorting them to elect lawmakers who will work for common sense. “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense,” Parrott quoted Churchill as saying in a message posted on MDPetitions.com.
- The editorial board for the Frederick News Post looks at Del. Neil Parrott’s petition drives to bring laws to referendum – including the most recent one overturn the transgender rights law – concluding that the objections raised to the transgender rights legislation were emotional and ill-conceived. Some bordered on the absurd. Rather than being distracted by those objections, legislators instead focused on the purpose of the bill, which was simply to protect these individuals from employment, housing and other types of discrimination.
BUSCH, MILLER PENSIONS: The presiding officers of the Maryland General Assembly will each receive $41,000 in annual pension benefits when they retire, writes Mark Newgent in Red Maryland. According to a public pension calculator for the states created by Public Sector Inc., a project of the Manhattan Institute’s Center for State and Local Leadership, Speaker of the House Michael Busch, and Senate President Mike Miller will have get a little under $4,000 per month once they leave the legislature.
ETHICS COMPLAINT: A Mount Airy man has asked the state ethics commission to investigate a report that Sen. David Brinkley improperly used campaign funds writes Bethany Rodgers for the Frederick News Post. In a posting last week, the conservative blog Red Maryland suggested that Brinkley personally benefited from a $4,000 payment to one of his staffers.
DISTRICT 26: The Maryland League of Conservation Voters announced it would spend $40,000 to oust Sen. Anthony Muse, a Democrat, in the June 24 primary. The league has endorsed Del. Veronica Turner, who is challenging Muse for the party nomination, reports Michael Dresser in the Sun.
NEW DISTRICT 30B: Republicans seeking to represent south Anne Arundel County in the state House of Delegates agree on many issues. So the winner of the new District 30B race will be determined on the streets, said Bob Costa, former delegate from south county. “The person who actually knocks on the most doors and asks the people for their vote will win,” said Costa, a three-term Republican who retired this year. Tim Prudente has the story for the Annapolis Capital.
NEW DISTRICT 31A: Three Democrats and a Republican are fighting for the chance to be the first delegate from District 31A, carved out of Glen Burnie and Brooklyn Park neighborhoods during statewide redistricting two years ago, Zoe Read of the Annapolis Capital reports.
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The op-ed page of the Annapolis Capital features a column by candidate John Moran IV who says, “I always keep my word. When I tell you I will try to pass a law, I will draft and sponsor that bill and push it as far as I can. When I say I am going to do something, I do it to the best of my ability until all my efforts are exhausted.”
NO PUBLIC FUNDS FOR CRAIG, GEORGE: Neither Harford County Executive David Craig nor Del. Ron George will be eligible for matching public funding in advance of the June 24 primary, having failed to raise enough, John Wagner reports in the Post.
ON THE BAY: Alex Jackson of the Annapolis Capital looks at the Democratic gubernatorial candidates debate on Monday and homes in on their visions to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.
FACT-CHECKING DEM DEBATE: When the Democrats running for governor met for their second three-way television debate Monday night, charges and countercharges flew – along with allegations of distortion, deception and half-truths. Michael Dresser of the Sun looks to find the truth behind the charges.
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Sara Carothers of the Post also fact-checks the candidates’ claims.
- The Sun editorial writers do more fact checking on claims about Virginia’s economy and marijuana legalization.
MORE REACTION: MarylandReporter.com adds commentary from Towson professor Rick Vatz to the reaction to the Democratic debate.
SCHUH-NEUMAN TUSSLE: Len Lazarick of MarylandReporter.com writes that Steve Schuh and Laura Neuman have been tangling with each other from afar for 15 months now in the Republican contest for Anne Arundel County executive. The back and forth has gone on since that night in February 2013 when the County Council chose Neuman over Del. Schuh (and several others) to fill the post after the resignation of John Leopold, who was convicted of abuse of the office. Tonight, they tangle again.
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The expected attack mailers in the contentious Republican race for Anne Arundel County executive began hitting the mail boxes of reliable primary voters this week. Schuh and Neuman both associated the other with pictures of one of the most reviled men in Maryland Republican circles: Martin O’Malley, the departing Democratic governor, writes Len Lazarick for MarylandReporter.com.
8,000 MEMBER UNION SITS OUT MO CO RACE: The union representing 8,000 Montgomery employees, unhappy with incumbent Ike Leggett and not convinced that challenger Doug Duncan can win, is sitting out the county executive’s race, Bill Turque reports for the Post.
MO CO COUNCIL CANDIDATE’S COSTLY PROBLEM: Bill Turque of the Post writes that Montgomery County Council candidate Christopher Barclay’s expense account and fundraising woes cost him a major union endorsement Tuesday, as Service Employees International Union Local 500 switched its allegiance to Del. Tom Hucker in the District 5 (Silver Spring-Eastern Montgomery) race.
CARROLL COMMISSION RACE: The 20 candidates for Carroll County Commissioners were asked to address the issue of county funding for nonprofits. The Carroll County Times compiled those answers for an article.
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