Cynthia Prairie, Author at MarylandReporter.com

Paid sick leave bill sent to Hogan, who has pledged a veto

Five years in the making, the Maryland General Assembly on Wednesday passed a widely supported but controversial paid sick leave bill, HB1, which Gov. Larry Hogan has vowed to veto. Democratic lawmakers are promising an override at the start of the 2018 session, saying they will defend the rights of 700,000 Marylanders to take paid sick leave without fear of losing their jobs.

Eberly: Sorry Sen. Cardin, but Judge Gorsuch is mainstream

In a recent interview, Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin argued that Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch was no mainstream judge and described him in some cases as “more extreme” than Justice Samuel Alito.Maryland’s other senator, Chris Van Hollen, has echoed Cardin’s statements and has announced his intent to filibuster the Gorsuch nomination as the well. The Democratic filibuster is expected to trigger the so called “nuclear option” where Republicans change Senate rules with a simple majority vote and eliminate the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees. Both the filibuster and the nuclear option would result in irreparable harm to the U.S. Senate.

State Roundup, April 5, 2017

General Assembly rescinds state’s previous calls for federal constitutional convention; after three years of work, Del. Wilson’s bill extending reporting time in sex abuse cases signed into law; Gov. Hogan signs bill banning fracking statewide; changes to bail bond bill draws critics as sponsor defends self; dems pull internet privacy back from the brink; Hogan’s withdrawal of DHMH nominee draws ire from Senate leadership; homeowners face off against waterskiers over controversial bill; and Montgomery council invests in security at Rockville offices.

Dems still hopeful on Internet privacy bill; Senate moves bill blocked in House

Democratic lawmakers in Annapolis get another bite at the apple to pass an Internet privacy law before the 2017 session ends next Monday. In a party-line vote on Tuesday the Senate voted, 33-14,to suspend the rules and approve introduction of a late bill, Internet Consumer Privacy Rights Act of 2017, SB 1200. Republicans in the House of Delegates had blocked a similar measure on Monday. The bill is in response to the recent repeal in Congress of Obama-era FCC privacy rules.

State Roundup, April 4, 2017

Gov. Hogan signs school funding bill to aid jurisdictions with declining enrollment; supporters, opponents of immigrant Trust Act rally in Annapolis as bill stalls in Senate panel; police may be required to hold onto rape kits for 20 years, if new bill passes; Hogan withdraws DHMH nominee, but plans to keep him on for now; anti-abortion activists protest at State House; medical marijuana as heroin addiction treatment is dropped from legislation; Dems attempt to push internet privacy bill squashed; and Sen. Ben Cardin, late to the game, backs filibuster of Neil Gorsuch for Supreme Court.

National politics still driving Dems in Annapolis, GOP lawmakers say

A late attempt to introduce an Internet privacy bill on Monday illustrated a common complaint from the Republican minority this session: Democrats continue to make Washington politics their priority. House Majority Leader Bill Frick asked the House of Delegates to allow introduction of an emergency bill to prevent Internet service providers from selling or sharing personal information without notification and consent of their customers.

Maryland needs to keep antibiotics working for all of us

Maryland’s residents including its farmers have lots to lose if we reach a future where there simply aren’t any antibiotics left to treat our sickest patients. Unfortunately, we all seem headed in that direction. That’s why we, as professional nurses, feel so strongly the time has come for the Keep Antibiotics Effective Act, SB 422/HB 602.

State Roundup, April 3, 2017

Looking toward the end of the session, expect vetoes, overrides, medical marijuana revamping among actions; Gov. Hogan holds a very brief bill-signing ceremony; Senate OKs resolution to urging Hogan to push Trump administration on saving Chesapeake Bay bucks; bills to address heroin crisis advance, including one to use telemedicine counseling; Sen. Conway packs, mulls future in Senate; Anne Arundel senators finally back elected county school board; Democrat gubernatorial hopefuls Jealous, Kamenetz and Madaleno woo Young Dems; and U.S. Rep. Andy Harris gets an earful at raucous shore town hall meeting.

Dems continue push to rescind calls for U.S. constitutional convention

The House of Delegates on Friday gave preliminary approval of House and Senate resolutions, HJ2/SJ2, to rescind all four of Maryland’s calls for a constitutional convention. A final vote is expected Monday or Tuesday. But the Republican minority in both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly have voiced opposition to rescinding the 1975 call to Congress for a balanced budget, when the national debt was $533 billion.

Rascovar: The Hogan-DeVos-Trump school threat

When it comes to dealing with the Maryland General Assembly, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan could well be called “Mr. Irrelevant.” He’s threatening to veto a batch of bills recently enacted by Democrats in the state legislature – yet he lacks the votes to support his negative actions.

Cynthia Prairie

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