Len Lazarick, Author at MarylandReporter.com

The dish on paid sick leave from a server’s point of view

As I sat with camera in hand, watching the House floor debate Friday from the press section, I couldn’t help but wonder if the legislators knew the very person’s job security they were arguing was my own.

Senate passes spending mandate to make college more affordable

With the cost of college rising and student loan debt a growing issue, the Maryland Senate Friday passed legislation that establishes a matching state contribution to eligible college savings accounts and creates a refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 for undergraduate student loan debt. The bill costs the state $52 million over the next five years. Because it is new mandated spending, most Senate Republicans voted against the bill when it passed 34-11.

Rascovar: Hogan veto an April Fool’s joke

On April Fool’s Day, Gov. Larry Hogan, Jr. played a whopper of a prank on the Maryland General Assembly: He vetoed a bill that brings public accountability and transparency to an important state government decision-making process. Surely, Hogan wasn’t serious about this veto. Right? After all, Republican legislatures in Virginia and North Carolina have passed similar “openness in government” laws.

Veto drama: Act 2, scene 1: Hogan vetoes transportation scoring bill

As promised, and faster than expected, Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed HB1013 on transportation project scoring Friday morning. Here is the full text of his letter to House Speaker Michael Busch. At the bottom, are links to this week’s stories about the bill.

State Roundup, April 1, 2016

Gov. Hogan vows to veto transportation scoring bill, but with days left General Assembly expected to override it; General Assembly passes bill intended to help Baltimore City; drunken driving bill heads to House; changes to “Maryland, My Maryland” stall; hospital workers protest state cuts; Del. Hixon taken to hospital; banks seek clarity on dealing with marijuana businesses; and PAC spends for U.S. Rep. Edwards Senate race against Van Hollen.

Transportation scoring bill sent to Hogan for expected veto

The Senate and House on Thursday rushed to enact a new scoring system for transportation projects, sending it to Gov. Larry Hogan. He must act on the legislation by next week, giving the Democrat-controlled legislature enough time to override his expected veto. “It’s a terrible piece of legislation,” the governor told reporters at a road project announcement Thursday morning.

Kline: Hogan’s bipartisan success

The passage of the fiscal 2017 budget by the Maryland General Assembly is without question an overwhelming victory for Governor Hogan, write Greg Kline. The broad bipartisan support in both chambers for the governor’s budget, largely unchanged by state legislators, is a testament to the success of Governor Hogan’s collaborative approach to state spending. It stands in stark contrast to the plethora of efforts and bills presented by Democrats in the General Assembly seeking to undermine the governor

Senate passes House version of Baltimore City demolition bill

The Maryland General Assembly passed a key piece of legislation on Thursday aimed at demolishing and rebuilding blighted Baltimore City properties, despite opposition from some Republicans over mandated spending.

State Roundup, March 31, 2016

Republicans mount a short filibuster over transportation priority bill as Dems rush to get bill passed; Montgomery, Prince George’s delegates seek answers on state contracting agreement on Purple Line; justice reform bill moving forward — and gets a visit from a former governor; bill to give sick leave to most workers advances; legislation would place civilians on local police accountability boards; bill links universities, doesn’t merge them; voting process changes; and judge rules against former Arundel Exec Leopold.

Puny filibuster over an overblown power grab

The Republican minority — 14 senators out of 47 — was using the only weapon they had to slow the down the fast moving train called the Maryland Open Transportation Investment Decision Act of 2016, HB1013: they talked. That mouthful of a bill was considered one of the prime power grabs by the Democratic legislature over the Republican governor.

Len Lazarick

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