State Roundup, May 11, 2018

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Valerie Ervin and Kevin Kamenetz

SUCCESSION PLANS: Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz spent nearly three decades building a close-knit family, a successful legal career and a formidable political machine — all from the comfort of his native Baltimore County. With his sudden death, Baltimore County government must plan for his replacement and his gubernatorial running mate Valerie Ervin must decide is she will run in his stead, Doug Donovan and Pamela Wood of the Sun write.

REMEMBRANCES CONTINUE: What was supposed to be a gubernatorial candidate forum Thursday night at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County became time for candidates and attendees to share memories of Kamenetz, Christina Tkacik writes in the Sun. Together, they painted a portrait of a boisterous, committed and, at times, downright goofy public servant who loved his family, Maryland politics and the Orioles — in that order. Many spoke of his political achievements, including his efforts to protect Dreamers on college campuses.

FUNERAL TODAY: The funeral procession for Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz will cause road closures in Baltimore County on Friday. The Sun reports that the funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. at the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation at 7401 Park Heights Ave. The burial will be at the Baltimore Hebrew Cemetery on Berrymans Lane.

CALL 911: The death of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz surprised many people in part because he was healthy and fit with no history of heart disease. But doctors said even people in the best of health with no signs of cardiovascular disease can suffer a deadly attack that stops the heart. Sometimes it is the first sign of heart problems. Doctors believe Kamenetz, 60, had a heart attack that led to cardiac arrest, Andrea McDaniels of the Sun writes.

HOGAN IN HOWARD COUNTY: Gov. Larry Hogan and members of his cabinet kicked off today’s tour of Howard County, with visits scheduled to county businesses and institutions, on a somber note, reports Kate Magill in the Howard County Times. The morning was overshadowed by the sudden death of Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz.

BUMP STOCKS: The state of Maryland has stumbled across a novel way to satisfy gun-control opponents: create a licensing process that cannot be put into practice, WBAL-AM is reporting. Maryland lawmakers had sought to ban bump stocks, the controversial rifle accessory used in last year’s Las Vegas massacre. But in writing the law, a clause allowing some gun owners to keep them may have backfired. The new law allows bump stocks and other “rapid-fire trigger activators” to be owned by people who get special dispensation from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. But the agency has no process or authority to offer that dispensation and, indeed, was never even told of the Maryland law.

CHEF CONSIDERS SENATE RUN: “I wouldn’t mind running for senator of Maryland,” Chef Jose Andrés, a resident of Bethesda, told Washingtonian last week. “Because I think we’re in need of shaping Congress. I consider myself a Millennial, and I think we are going to need more young people on the right and on the left, people of respect and understanding.” Jessica Sidman and Anna Spiegel of the Washingtonian write the story.

‘NOT AUTHORIZED’ POLITICAL SIGNS: The blue-and-white campaign signs sprinkled between Arnold and Severna Park lay out a few moral complaints about Republican candidates in county and state elections — but the person who paid for and placed them might not be on the moral high ground, reports Chase Cook for the Annapolis Capital. The handful of signs read “Peroutka = White Supremacy, Leopold = Convict and McConkey = Disbarred, We deserve better leaders, do your research, vote November 6.” The bottom of the sign is labeled with: “Not authorized by any opponent.”

CITY STATE’s ATTORNEY HOPEFULS DEBATE: Rarely does debate between candidates for elected office take place in front of a mountain of beer, nor is there usually an abundance of formalwear in a brewery. But that was the scene Wednesday evening at Peabody Heights Brewery on 30th Street in Baltimore, which played host to a forum for the candidates for Baltimore City state’s attorney, Samuel Manas reports in Maryland Matters. The forum was lively and sometimes touched on tensions between the candidates, but one important element was missing — the incumbent state’s attorney for Baltimore City, Marilyn J. Mosby (D).

About The Author

Cynthia Prairie

cynthiaprairie@gmail.com
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: cynthiaprairie@gmail.com

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