Cynthia Prairie, Author at MarylandReporter.com

State Roundup, December 23, 2015

Senate Prez Miller says he’s targeting all of Gov. Hogan’s 2015 vetoes for overrides; House Dems say they’ll push for more aid to Baltimore City in coming session; Miller questions why Porter trial venue wasn’t moved from Baltimore City; as he faces criticism, Comptroller Franchot doubles down on Montgomery’s liquor sales monopoly; Michele Hotten sworn in as new Court of Appeals judge; amid controversy over gender and race with Arundel County exec, black woman appointed to ethics panel; and Baltimore City officials to get pay hikes.

Energy bill strips Md.’s rights on Conowingo dam

An energy bill moving through Congress could strip Maryland of its rights under the Clean Water Act to require a permit for Exelon Energy Corporation to operate the Conowingo Dam, which discharges 40% of all the nutrient and sediment pollution into the Chesapeake Bay from the Susquehanna River.

State Roundup, December 22, 2015

NAACP, ACLU filed civil right complaint against Maryland over Gov. Hogan’s killing of Red Line project; as state medical marijuana commission sets dates for businesses to come on line, Arundel’s County Council unanimously passes related legislation just before deadline; Senate Prez Miller says he has votes to override Hogan veto of bill to make third-party travel websites pay all of the state’s sales tax; ID theft and state tax fraud rises in Maryland; House Speaker Busch, Gov. Hogan announce initiatives to help Baltimore City; Progressive Caucus gives Raskin a boost in House run; and O’Malley returns home to campaign.

University athletics still dependent on subsidies, student fees

An analysis of Big Ten schools’ athletic department finances found that Big Ten schools consistently generate more net revenue than other NCAA programs, while relying on significantly less in subsidies from state governments and university budgets to fund athletic programs. But Maryland and Rutgers, the analysis found, are exceptions. Both schools remain very dependent on state and student subsidies to fund athletic programs.

Tax fraud from identity theft grows; AG Frosh a victim

There is a rising number of victims of tax-fraud identity theft, a list that includes Maryland’s attorney general, Brian Frosh. Comptroller Peter Franchot is proposing legislation to give his agency more enforcement tools.

State Roundup, December 21, 2015

New commission to tackle school construction needs, but expect Gov. Hogan, legislative leaders to repeat wrestling match of last year; helping immigrant students also comes to the fore; future of the Bay Bridge looks bleak, expensive; more colleges join in partnership with new medical marijuana businesses; Trachtenberg’s not running against U.S. Rep. Delaney, she’s just complying with the FEC; 4th, 8th Congressional District races expected to heat up; O’Malley tries to push through in the Democratic debate; and group airs anti-Dixon ad in Baltimore City mayor’s race.

Rascovar: Hogan’s spending tightrope: economic growth, restrained spending

Larry Hogan Jr. is the ideal governor to take on the difficult task of balancing the need for stronger economic growth in Maryland while at the same time slowing government spending.

N.H. Democratic Debate: Undemocratic love fest, O’Malley sidelined

‘Twas the Saturday night before Christmas, and all through the nation, few creatures were watching the Dem confrontation. Remember back in August when Martin O’Malley was loudly protesting how few debates the Democratic Party was planning and how bad their timing was? This viewer-suppression schedule — an even duller Saturday Night Live without the skits or music — wasn’t good enough to diss the contenders for Hillary Clinton’s throne. Watching the first half of Saturday’s debate in drowsy boredom, it seemed that O’Malley was being kept at the kid’s table, treated like the GOP undercard.

Wide variance in hours spent in testing public schools kids, commission finds

In Queen Anne’s County, second graders take 28 hours of locally mandated tests each year, the highest in any Maryland school system. In Montgomery County, they take just four hours of county required assessments but that number climbs to 23 to 26 hours by the time students are in high school. In Carroll County, high school seniors take 32 hours of required tests — not counting the statewide assessments — the highest amount in the state, along with Cecil County. In Howard County high schools, seniors take no locally mandated assessments. What do these numbers mean? A new commission on testing would like to figure that out.

State Roundup December 18, 2015

Justice panel hopes to reduce inmate population by 20% in four years; Comptroller Franchot, Senate Pres Miller continue war of the words; online fantasy sports getting a once-over by state lawmakers; state, local panels, NAACP seek solid path for changing state song, future of Confederate monuments; Gov. Hogan names Dennis Schrader new appointments secretary; Circuit Court judge replacements tapped; and candidate for Congress donates donations from arrested pharmaceutical chief, hedge fund manager.

Cynthia Prairie

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