Listen to this articleHOGAN KILLS 72 EXEC ORDERS: Gov. Larry Hogan on Tuesday got rid of 72 executive orders issued by seven of his predecessors — by signing an executive order of his own, reports Ovetta Wiggins in the Post. Hogan said the move to rescind dozens of actions taken by previous governors, including orders that created state panels to look at issues including homelessness, transportation and cancer research, is part of an ongoing effort to streamline the bureaucracy in Annapolis and throughout the state.
HARRIS ON SCHOOL BATHROOMS: U.S. Rep. Andy Harris is encouraging local school districts to ignore Obama administration guidance requiring them to allow transgender students to use bathrooms that fit their gender identity — even as a growing number of schools in the state are embracing the idea, report John Fritze and Liz Bowie in the Sun. No schools have said they will ignore the guidance.
HOGAN’S VETOES: Will Gov. Larry Hogan have any luck the second time around? Bryan Sears of the Daily Record reports that the decision by Hogan to veto five bills Friday may end up reprising the same scenario as last year, when the Democratic majority in the legislature successfully made veto overrides one of the first orders of business in a new legislative session.
- Political observer Josh Kurtz of Center Maryland writes, well, of course Gov. Larry Hogan was going to veto three of the bills that directly challenge Hogan’s authority. But in many ways, Hogan’s disposition on three other pieces of legislation in recent weeks was more significant – because it said a lot about Hogan’s strategic thinking.
OVERTURN TWO VETOES: The editorial board for the Sun opines that last year, Gov. Larry Hogan used relatively restrained language in announcing his veto of a handful of the General Assembly’s bills, but lawmakers overrode him on every one of them anyway. This year, he vetoed a handful of bills again but accompanied them with some fighting words — “sophomoric,” “undue and wholly improper” and “legislative ‘logrolling,'” for example. On the merits, he has a point on some of the bills, but two of the vetoes this time deserve the same fate as last year’s batch.
S&P ON PURPLE LINE DEBT: In an article for MarylandReporter.com, Charlie Hayward writes that S&P Global Ratings cited important differences with State Treasurer Nancy Kopp about how Purple Line debt is recognized in its May 26 opinion supporting Maryland’s $1 billion bond sale next Wednesday. S&P says it’s going to county Purple Line payments as debt; Kopp says it doesn’t have to be.
CUMMINGS’ CONGRESSIONAL TAG: No, Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings isn’t moonlighting as a ride-sharing driver. The congressman said Tuesday that a daughter who recently graduated from college has been using his Honda with a congressional plate while working part time for a ride-sharing company to make extra money for school expenses, according to an AP story in the Cumberland Times News.
SUIT OVER NEW LAW: A former appointee of Gov. Larry Hogan to the Baltimore City Board of Liquor License Commissioners and a bar owner have filed suit over a new law that removes the governor’s ability to appoint members of the panel, Bryan Sears of the Daily Record writes.
DIXON WON’T SEEK RECOUNT: Former Mayor Sheila Dixon did not seek a recount in April’s primary election, but her mayoral campaign did not rule out filing a legal challenge by today’s deadline, Yvonne Wenger and Luke Broadwater of the Sun report. Dixon said Tuesday she would continue to press for answers over election irregularities that marred the April 26 primary. Officials said no other candidates requested a recount in closely watched City Council races, some of which were decided by just dozens of votes. Campaigns had until Tuesday to request a recount.
- Are the irregularities in Baltimore’s primary election numerous enough to affect the outcome of Baltimore City Council races? The State Board of Elections reported last week there were 1,188 provisional ballots improperly scanned into the results of Baltimore’s primary election in April — without verification that the voters were registered. In an analysis by the Sun, Luke Broadwater reports that, much like the mayor’s race, the potentially invalid votes were too few to affect the outcomes of even down-ballot contests.
MO CO COUNCIL TERM LIMITS? A majority of seats on the nine-member Montgomery County Council would change hands in 2018 if a proposed charter amendment for term limits is placed on the November ballot and approved by voters, reports Bill Turque for the Post. The proposition, authored by Republican activist Robin Ficker, limits council members and the county executive to three consecutive terms.
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