Cynthia Prairie, Author at MarylandReporter.com

State Roundup, February 26, 2016

Advocates for mental health and substance abuse treatment rally for automatic spending increasing; tough questions arise as Senate panel hears end-of-life options bill; legislative leaders say they support livestreaming of floor action; union blames Gov. Hogan for cuts to jail officers shortage; Hogan’s manufacturing incentive bill likely to see an overhaul; bill would legalize those small-stakes card games you’ve been playing at home; GOP’s 6th Congressional District hopefuls attend forum; and Baltimore mayoral candidates focus on transit problems in debate.

Judges and lawyers battle over judicial elections

Maryland’s top judges and lawyers sparred Thursday over a series of Maryland constitutional amendments changing how judges face the voters, removing the chance that sitting Circuit Court judges can be challenged in elections.

Vatz and Lazarick: Republicans’ first ‘last chance’ to stop Trump probably failed

The new aggression against Trump may be due to the fact that source after source cites Thursday’s debate as the Republicans’ last chance to stop Trump, although warnings of a last chance tend to be not a one-time warning. Rick Vatz and Len Lazarick dash off quick commentary on Thursday’s debate, laughing and cringing. UPDATED: Laslo Boyd adds some comments.

State Roundup, February 25, 2016

Lawmakers renew push to merge University of Maryland, College Park with UM, Baltimore; environmentalists cheer as bill to cut greenhouse gas emissions sails through Senate; Senate panel OKs bill to add jail time for adults who host underage drinking parties; House panel takes up measure to expand law on interlock device; Gov. Hogan comes out for live streaming law; bill on destroying Taney statue amended to allowing it to be archived; President Obama nominates Enoch Pratt’s Carla Hayden to take over Library of Congress; and it’s a crowded candidates forum as 17 mayoral hopefuls crowd Baltimore City venue.

Bills seek to boost government transparency, accountability

Government transparency was the reoccurring theme at Wednesday’s House Health and Government Operations Committee hearing, as lawmakers pushed for the passage of multiple bills that would beef up requirements of the Open Meetings Act.

Hogan backs video of legislative sessions

Gov. Larry Hogan is apparently anxious for Marylanders to see what legislators actually do on the first floor of the State House, so he is warmly endorsing legislation that provides for live streaming and archived video of floor and voting sessions in the House of Delegates and Senate.

State Roundup, February 24, 2016

Police accountability bills getting buffeted from all sides, for many reasons, but police and public still seek to rebuild trust; bill to give Senate a say in state superintendent appointment dies; with recent PARCC scores, state considers a two-tier graduation system — even though state remains No. 1 in number of high school kids taking AP courses; some Maryland manufacturers cry foul over bill to give tax incentives to incoming businesses; environmental bills addressing greenhouse gas reduction, green energy push and accountability for all that chicken poop; Statehouse Taney statue’s days may be numbered; in race for U.S. Senate, Edwards, Van Hollen remain in dead heat in new Goucher Poll; and candidates seeking Edwards seat sit down for a forum.

Horsing around in Annapolis

There was a lot of horsing around in Annapolis Tuesday, as a more than hundred representatives of Maryland’s diverse horse industry gathered to lobby legislators for an array of horsey priorities. Thoroughbred racing and the gambling that goes with it has often been the focus of the General Assembly, but leaders of the $1.6 billion industry have formed a coalition to emphasize the broader interests of the horsey set. Maryland has about 80,000 horses on 587,000 acres — 10% of the state’s land, more horse per square mile than any state, the industry says.

Hillary beats Bernie in Md., 58-28%; Edwards, Van Hollen in dead heat

Maryland Democratic voters give Hillary Clinton a commanding 30-point lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the state’s presidential primary, a new Goucher College poll found. Clinton beats Sanders 58% to 28%, with 12% undecided.
In the Democratic race to succeed Barbara Mikulski in the U.S. Senate, Reps. Donna Edwards of Prince George’s County and Chris Van Hollen of Montgomery County are in a statistical dead heat, with Edwards polling 39% to Van Hollen’s 37% and 23% of Democratic voters undecided.

Bill to cleanup chicken manure pits environmental groups against poultry industry

Environmental activists clashed with Maryland’s agriculture secretary and the poultry industry over legislation designed to shift the burden of cleaning up excess chicken manure runoff from taxpayers and farmers to larger poultry companies.

Cynthia Prairie

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