Cynthia Prairie, Author at MarylandReporter.com

State Roundup, September 25, 2015

Budget Secretary Brinkley resists call from Dems to free up funds for education; $1 million federal grant to pay for police overtime during April riots; Cleveland mayor disputes budget claims by new chief of BWI Airport; two Frederick lawmakers question state funding of Planned Parenthood; Gov. Hogan gets personal blessing from the pope on behalf of cancer patients; Sen. Mikulski was part of House escort of Pope Francis; boosting cyber community seen as competitive edge for business; and pastor drops out of raise for Cummings’ seat in Congress.

Education advocates, Democrats urge Hogan to use surplus on schools

Democratic lawmakers at a Maryland budget panel on Thursday urged representatives of Gov. Larry Hogan to use millions in unexpected state revenue to bolster supplemental schools funding.

State Roundup, September 24, 2015

State Attorney General’s office says counties can’t ban medical marijuana operations outright; medical pot facility proposed for Hurlock; BWI head ran Cleveland airport accused of FAA violations; Gov. Hogan to meet Pope Francis; two casinos could face fines; transgender prisoner wins a victory in court; O’Malley slams Clinton over Syrian refugee crisis; rebel statue in Montgomery could find a home a Union slaveholder’s park; Howard County exec seeks to stop federal cuts that could impact rental housing aid for low income residents.

Proposed moratorium on Eastern Shore chicken houses rekindles debate on Conowingo Dam

The Clean Chesapeake Coalition, a group of seven Maryland counties formed in 2012 to challenge the priorities and science of the $14.4 billion cleanup mandate for the Bay, is again sparring with environmental groups it says continue to ignore the Susquehanna River as the single largest source of pollution that flows into the Bay. This time the debate is over a proposed moratorium on chicken houses, the biggest industry on the shore.

State Roundup, September 23, 2015

While some jurisdictions — and Republicans — embrace the emerging medical marijuana industry, others seek to put the brakes on it; data collection on police interactions needs to go deeper, advocates say; Timothy Hyman, state’s longest serving employee who never took a sick day, to retire; under Warren Deschenaux, Legislative Services to be reorganized; former Del. Walter Dean dies; U.S. Rep. Van Hollen warns of medical service, research delays if government shuts down; the Rev. Bryant pulls out of race for U.S. Rep. Cummings’ seat; bricklayers union back Edwards for Senate; and GOP-lead Montgomery elections board shifts away from two voter-heavy early voting sites.

State school board to release new PARCC exam results in late fall with lower scores expected

Maryland’s State Board of Education on Tuesday confirmed plans to release PARCC assessment scores in late October and early December. The PARCC, which stands for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, was administered for the first time in 11 states and the District of Columbia in the spring as a part of the Common Core Standards Initiative, a widespread but controversial effort to measure education in the United States.

State Roundup, September 22, 2015

Board of Revenue Estimates sees increased revenue, but Gov. Hogan, Comptroller Franchot remain cautious; Warren Deschenaux to take over Department of Legislative Services with retirement of Karl Aro; Maryland, Virginia lawmakers urge Republicans to keep federal government open as Montgomery County prepares for possibility; Arundel County Council takes up medical marijuana issue; citizens express frustration over “disenfranchisement” from gerrymandering; Maryland refugee programs prepare to aid in Syrian crisis; U.S. Rep. Cummings questions pharmaceutical firm over overnight price spike; and Maryland Live! gets OK to expand.

Deschenaux to replace Aro as head of legislature’s nonpartisan staff

The Department of Legislative Services, the legislature’s nonpartisan staff, will get new leadership and a reorganization next year as Executive Director Karl Aro retires, and Warren Deschenaux, director of policy analysis, takes his place. The move was announced late Monday afternoon by Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch. With a staff of 384 and a budget of almost $48 million, Legislative Services performs most of the functions for the Maryland General Assembly

State Roundup, September 21, 2015

Following Charlestown killings, Maryland jurisdictions continue discussions over appropriateness of monuments to slave-holding south; state officials try to calm residents over effect of Purple Line cuts on environment, service; Maryland seeks postponement in prisoner’s Supreme Court case; Del. Proctor eulogized; former TU President Loeschke memorialized; Gov. Hogan proposes tearing down blocks of empty housing in Baltimore, creating green spaces; most District 8 congressional candidates back Iran deal; Van Hollen praises Trump stand; and SRB’s campaign fund likely to go to allies.

Del. Jim Proctor remembered as warm and gentle education advocate

Saturday’s funeral for Del. Jim Proctor, 79, a 25-year veteran of the House of Delegates who was vice chair of the Appropriations Committee, was marked with the same good humor and easy smiles that marked Proctor’s service in the legislature.

Cynthia Prairie

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