State Roundup, September 12, 2016

BLACK CAUCUS GOES AFTER POT LICENSING: The Legislative Black Caucus plans to use any means necessary to stop Maryland’s medical marijuana commission from issuing final licenses until more are awarded to minority-owned businesses, writes Erin Cox of the Sun. “We will not be accepting crumbs,” Del. Cheryl Glenn, chair of the caucus, said Friday at a forum in Annapolis.

MENTAL HEALTH AID FOR DEFENDANTS: State legislators for three committees will meet this week to seek a solution to a growing problem in Maryland involving criminal defendants needing psychological evaluations and treatment that one judge has warned could result in the release of people charged with murder, Bryan Sears reports in the Daily Record.

NEW WAYS TO PAY CHANCELLOR: University of Maryland officials are scrapping bonuses for the system chancellor after a $75,000 bonus to Chancellor Robert L. Caret drew scrutiny from state lawmakers, Fenit Nirappil reports for the Post. The system’s Board of Regents on Friday voted unanimously to remove performance bonuses from the chancellor’s compensation package. But the move likely won’t amount to a pay cut because university officials plan to increase his compensation in other ways.

FICKER NO DEFENDANT IN CHALLENGE: Robin Ficker, who is spearheading a drive to impose term limits on local politicians, will not be a defendant when a challenge to his effort is heard in Montgomery County circuit court. Ficker, a lawyer, is seeking to limit the Montgomery County executive and members of the County Council to three terms, Doug Tallman of Bethesda Beat reports.

BA CO WARNS WORKERS OF ONLINE BEHAVIOR: As the political season heats up, Baltimore County is warning government employees that it plans to enforce a long-standing policy against “brutal or offensive” behavior in the workplace and on private time, including on social media. County officials say the increasing coarseness of online behavior, particularly about the presidential election, led them to remind employees of the policy and require supervisors to implement it, Pamela Wood and Alison Knezevich report in the Sun.

***Assessment Administrators: Seeking motivated individuals to proctor assessment sessions with 4th- and 8th-grade students in schools for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Must be available to work January 30 –March 10, 2017. Paid training, paid time and mileage reimbursement for local driving, and weekly paychecks. This is a part-time, temporary position. To apply, visit our website at www.westat.com/CAREERS and select “Search Field Positions.” Search for your state, find the NAEP Assessment Administrator position, and select the “apply to job” button. For more information email [email protected] or call 1-888-237-8036. WESTAT EOE***

Gov. Larry Hogan greeted the National Guard conference on Saturday.

Gov. Larry Hogan greeted the National Guard conference on Saturday.

TRUMP IN BALTIMORE: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump will come to Baltimore today to address National Guard leaders as he wrestles with the fallout from recent remarks he has made about U.S. military leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin, John Fritze writes for the Sun.

WALKER SPEAKS, UNIONS PROTEST AT GOP DINNER: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) headlined the Maryland Republican Party’s annual fundraising dinner Friday night, energizing the crowd with a message that conservative reformers can win elections in heavily Democratic states. But his appearance drew dozens of union protesters and about one-third fewer guests than Donald Trump attracted to the event last year, when the real estate executive and reality television celebrity showed up days after announcing his bid for the GOP presidential nomination, Josh Hicks reports in the Post.

A COLUMNIST AGAINST HOGAN: Political pundit Barry Rascovar writes in MarylandReporter.com that for all his popularity, Gov. Larry Hogan has an abysmal relationship with Democrats who run the General Assembly. Worse, he seems determined to keep it that way into his next term. Hogan can point to few legacy achievements.

PREZ GOLFS WITH PLANK: President Barack Obama was back on the links in Baltimore County Saturday and he had a familiar golf partner — Under Armour founder Kevin Plank. The president also golfed with Plank on the tony Caves Valley Golf Club this spring. Spokespeople for Plank and Obama have previously declined to say who won, Natalie Sherman writes in the Sun.

About The Author

Cynthia Prairie

[email protected]
https://www.chestertelegraph.org/

Contributing Editor Cynthia Prairie has been a newspaper editor since 1979, when she began working at The Raleigh Times. Since then, she has worked for The Baltimore News American, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Prince George’s Journal and Baltimore County newspapers in the Patuxent Publishing chain, including overseeing The Jeffersonian when it was a two-day a week business publication. Cynthia has won numerous state awards, including the Maryland State Bar Association’s Gavel Award. Besides compiling and editing the daily State Roundup, she runs her own online newspaper, The Chester Telegraph. If you have additional questions or comments contact Cynthia at: [email protected]

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