Cynthia Prairie, Author at MarylandReporter.com

State Roundup, December 23, 2016

The Hogan administration makes a pre-emptive strike, sues State Center developer to end project; lawmakers hope to increase financial assistance to parents needs child-care subsidies; state regulators rule that ridesharing companies get a pass on some safety checks, but must tighten others; Gov. Hogan announces state funding for roads, revitalization projects in Hagerstown; Attorney General sues nursing home company, claiming “patient dumping;” and Sen. Cardin urges Secretary of State nominee to release tax returns.

State Roundup, December 22, 2016

Board of Public Works rescinds State Center LLC lease agreements, Hogan asks for fast-tracking new arena study; Baltimore County Exec Kamenetz urges BPW to approve equestrian center, warns Gov. Hogan over killing Beltway project funding; Hogan proposes testing driverless cars on I-95; two Prince George’s lawmakers seek to roll back County Exec Baker’s school changes; state Del. McMillan’s war with Speaker Busch takes a poetic turn; and data breach has occurred before in Frederick schools.

State Roundup, December 21, 2016

Legislature’s chief analyst Warren Deschenaux disputes claim by Gov. Hogan on “Road Kill Bill,” saying projects aren’t funded anyway; General Assembly hearing foreshadows fight over fracking ban in Maryland; Del. McMillan, Speaker Busch in war of words on op-ed pages of the Capital; state’s vet cautions Shore poultry farmers on avian flu threat; Howard County residents rally after incidents of racism in public schools; Baltimore City mayor, council set to approve their own pay raises; and President Obama grants six Marylanders clemency.

Part 6 Columbia at 50 EDUCATION: Schools Were Crucial Then and Now

Part 6 in this series of 12 essays leading to Columbia’s 50th birthday next June examines the planning and transformation of a small, rural, recently desegregated school system with middling rankings to one of the best school systems in the country. Howard County now has 76 schools with 54,000 children and 4,100 teachers, and they face the challenges of diversity, particularly in its urban core of Columbia. Links to all parts of the series published so far are at the bottom.

State Roundup, December 20, 2016

Trump wins electoral college, loses Maryland; transit agencies say Metro safety issues won’t have significant impact of Purple Line ridership; passage of transit scoring bill followed procedure, despite claims by Hogan administration; delegate says mandated paid sick leave would eliminate flexibility employers have to “take care” of employees; state ed department says it wasn’t source of Frederick data breach; Sen.-elect Van Hollen announces committee assignments; and former Baltimore County Councilman Bryan McIntire dies at 86.

Collins: The time is right for MagLev high-speed rail

The Hogan administration secured a $27.8 million federal grant last month to study the feasibility of a magnetic levitation (MagLev) train between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. There are good arguments for moving forward on a project that has been discussed for years.

State Roundup, December 19, 2016

Gov. Hogan says state reapplied for $155 million for Howard Street Tunnel expansion; in juvenile justice system, girls are facing harsher treatment for misdemeanors than boys; state seeks pollution reduction project ideas; state school board kicks around ideas for helping low-performing schools; state legislature unlikely to get report from 21st Century Schools Commission; Frederick schools offer 1,000 students ID protection following state data hack; Maryland college students average $27,457 in debt upon graduation; Hogan condemns hate incidents; and Montgomery delegates considering run for County Council as is activist Robin Ficker.

Knight Foundation will match gifts to MarylandReporter.com

MarylandReporter.com is one of 57 nonprofit news organizations from around the country that will receive matching grants for any donations received over the next month until Jan. 19. Any donation of any size up to $1,000 will be matched dollar for dollar by the Knight Foundation, a major funder of nonprofit journalism.

Rascovar: Hogan’s holiday hoax — the ‘road kill bill’

You’ve got to hand it to Gov. Larry Hogan, Jr. What a prankster he is!

He’s pulled off one of the great holiday hoaxes of recent times in Maryland. He’s got everyone convinced he is willing to kill 66 major highway projects in Maryland in order to get the legislature to repeal a law requiring a transparent advisory evaluation and ranking of big road, bridge and transit proposals.

State Roundup, December 16, 2016

Health Secretary Mitchell resigns for private sector job, appointments secretary Schrader takes his place; task force recommends some changes in policy governing restraining juveniles in custody, but sweeping reforms not in the cards; don’t expect Natural Resources to explain potential impact of proposed legislation; AFSCME workers picket holiday festooned Government House over pay glitches; and former Prince George’s County Exec Johnson released from prison to residential facility.

Cynthia Prairie

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