Cynthia Prairie, Author at MarylandReporter.com

Vatz and Boyd on the Iowa GOP debate: Minus Trump, one of the better ones

Rick Vatz and Laslo Boyd comment on the Fox News-Google debate. Vatz found it good, without Trump, and Boyd thought it was the best. Oddly, the Graphiq graphs show that despite the absence of the Donald, he still grew the most Twitter followers and had the most searches on Google trends.

Live from Annapolis, it’s the Maryland General Assembly — maybe some day

A conservative Republican leader and one of the most liberal Democrats in the House of Delegates are co-sponsoring legislation that would require video streaming of all sessions of the House and Senate and their committees, including voting sessions.

Housing and youth bills aimed at revitalizing Baltimore, delegate says

Revitalize Baltimore by starting with housing and youth, says Del. Keith E. Haynes, D-Baltimore City. Haynes introduced five bills in this spirit to the Ways and Means Committee Wednesday. The first three focus on providing more affordable housing options and reducing the city’s vacant properties. The other two focus on giving employers incentives to hire local teenagers and granting tax credits toward community college tuition—not just in Baltimore but in low-income communities across the state.

End of life legislation gets revived

Compassion and Choices held a news conference to support upcoming legislation in the Maryland House and Senate that would authorize doctors to prescribe lethal medication to terminally ill patients. Supporters of the legislation say that choice is the heart of the issue, not death. The bill failed last year, and sponsors have made changes to improve its chances this year.

State Roundup, January 28, 2016

Education bills of all sorts are burbling to the top in Annapolis with Gov. Hogan seeking tax credits for those who donate to schools, school construction funds being handed out, Hogan proposing college scholarships for those graduating high school early, improvements sought in the school system that caters to juvenile offenders and measures being undertaken to ensure that Morgan State stays independent from USM; in other news, the Board of Public Works decides to hire outside lawyers to represent Maryland in seeking to recover cleanup costs from oil companies; Hogan seeks legislators to sponsor several of his bills; Arundel Dem Central Committee seeks probe into School Board Nominating Commission; and David Trone announces run for U.S. House.

Renewed push for paid sick leave gets pushback from new poll for business groups

Legislators are bringing back a proposed requirement for paid sick leave. Employers are already pushing back against the proposal, commissioning a poll that shows Marylanders support the concept of paid sick leave, but withdraw their support when told of its negative consequences. Advocates for paid sick leave derided the poll, saying it was a “push poll,” pushing people toward opposition with consequences that don’t exist. They cited a study of Seattle employers after that city passed a requirement for paid sick leave that found very few consequences.

Euphemism and subterfuge fog the physician assisted suicide movement

One of the most contentious issues to be debated during this year’s General Assembly session will be the renewed effort to legalize physician assisted suicide. Proponents of physician assisted suicide often claim that they want an honest debate on this issue and insist that if people knew the true facts they would prevail. However, their entire movement is shrouded in euphemism and artifice.

Hogan announces education initiatives, early graduation gift

A tax credit for donations to public and private schools, and a scholarship for graduating early are among several education initiatives announced Wednesday by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.

State Roundup, January 27, 2016

The Hogan administration seeks nonpartisan redistricting panel, hopes to attack state’s growing opioid addiction problem; Senate Pres Miller, House Speaker Busch push for funding for teaching hospital in Prince George’s; meanwhile, dozens of low-level Springfield hospital workers wonder why they will be laid off in favor of privatization; Miller urges Hogan to fill empty Senate seat; and some are duds, some are heroes as jurisdictions come in for scrutiny over snow removal.

Some surprises in Hogan’s budget: City school aid drops, no local bond bills

As the legislature’s budget analysts drilled down in the governor’s $42 billion spending plan, they’ve come up with a few surprises that weren’t previously announced. Members of the fiscal committees were briefed Tuesday.

Cynthia Prairie

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