REDISTRICTING QUESTION CONFUSES VOTERS: A ballot question asking Maryland voters to approve a sweeping change to the state constitution on congressional redistricting may be too convoluted for most voters to understand. One in four voters in a new poll released by Fight Back Maryland, which supports passage of Question 3, were undecided when asked about the proposed constitutional amendment that would remove state standards for drawing congressional districts. The reason appears to be the amendment itself. The poll, released Thursday, said that when people were read the question as it appears on the ballot, 40% supported it and 35% said they opposed it, while 25% were undecided. But when the same voters were provided with a “positive messaging statement” and read the question, undecideds dropped to 11% and support rose to 53%. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters
MODEST BUMP IN STATE REVENUE FORECAST:Maryland’s revenue forecast for the current year has improved and a first look at the coming fiscal year shows some modest improvement despite a “mixed picture” of economic indicators. Those projections, released Thursday by the Board of Revenue Estimates, added $320 million to the board’s revenue forecast from March. But it also highlighted concerns about growing inflation and a projection that tax withholdings in the first half of the year would grow at half the rate of the same period a year ago. Bryan Sears/Maryland Matters
BIG PAY HIKES PROPOSED FOR BALT. CO. COUNCIL, EXECUTIVE: The Baltimore County Council proposed raising the salaries of members from $69,000 to $119,000 a year in legislation introduced this week. The bill would increase the council chair’s salary from $77,000 to $129,750. A companion piece of legislation would boost the county executive’s salary to $240,000 a year, a nearly 20% increase. Rona Kobell/Baltimore Banner
COUNTY TRASH WILL STILL BE BURNT IN CITY: It’s Baltimore County’s trash, but it’s going to continue to be burned – 215,000 tons of it a year – in an incinerator that is Baltimore City’s biggest industrial source of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s the upshot of the 4-3 vote of the Baltimore County Council on Tuesday to approve a new contract with WIN Waste Innovations, operator of the trash-burning facility whose emissions stack looms over I-95, the Horseshoe Casino and Westport in South Baltimore. Fern Shen/Baltimore Brew
CHANGES TO SCHOOL BLUEPRINT EYED: The board overseeing implementation of Maryland’s sweeping education reform plan could propose some changes to the plan, even as another looming budget shortfall makes it a likely target for cuts to some lawmakers next year. A few of the changes being eyed by that Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Accountability and Implementation Board include adding more pathways for educators to achieve National Board Certification or other academic accreditation; providing funding for more college and career readiness classes; and conducting a study to assess how much to increase the base level of per pupil funding. William Ford/Maryland Matters
JUDGE CONTINUES TO PRESS CITY FOR RECORDS: In blunt language, a judge has denied the Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott administration’s emergency request to continue blocking the Office of Inspector General’s access to records as the city appeals the court’s initial ruling. The Appellate Court of Maryland yesterday paused enforcement of Judge Pamela J. White’s order requiring the city to restore the IG’s access to city records and begin responding to subpoenas her office filed. Fern Shen/Baltimore Brew
TEACHERS UNION OBJECTS TO MONTGOMERY CO. OFFER: Amid collective bargaining negotiations between Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and the Montgomery County Education Association, the teachers union has pushed back against proposals from the school district, arguing that their offer was “unacceptable,” according to MCEA President David Stein. In an email to members a union official said despite the union proposing a 3.25% cost of living increase every year for the next three years, the district proposed a 0% cost of living increase, no increases for employees that move to a higher step on the pay scale, “as well as threatening healthcare benefits.” Ashlyn Campbell/Bethesda Today
MoCo SEEKS TO DEAL WITH DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR AT LIBRARIES: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich on Wednesday said he is seeking to address a reported increase in disruptive behavior at libraries and other public facilities by expanding the county’s ability to issue temporary bans. Elrich (D) said a new bill before the County Council is intended to crack down on repeat offenders. Advocates worry the change could disproportionately affect homeless people and those with mental illness. Ceoli Jacoby/Bethesda Today
Baltimore City Council is desperate. They know they are in the wrong and they are going to drag out this IG Case as long as they can and hope the appellate Judges see it their way. But it is clear that there is corruption or at least some failures in some of these Programs that the mayor and council want to protect as well that that very disrespectful employee. They’re doing a very good job pretending to be Donald Trump and making fools out of themselves. Even if they do win this will put a very sour taste in the electorate in Baltimore knowing their council is rogue and does not want to be held accountable.
Generally speaking, it appears MD voters are quite content in being a mostly Democrat ran state but even they know these IG’s offices are the only things keeping them honest and these Dems in power hate being kept honest, that is very clear by their reactions every time an IG is doing their job. Voters like the IGs offices, the politicians however do not. I would not be surprised if the MD Legislature decides to stick it up the electorates rear end and water down these all important offices. Beware the Dem Party of MD is not your friend, they will most certainly take advantage of their power and do not want to be held accountable at all, btw keep voting for them because you know that solves everything by constantly empowering this out-of-control party in this state.