A little bit of everything
There’s no denying Del. Joseph F. Vallario, Jr. of Prince George’s County is a stingy gatekeeper when it comes to loosening Maryland’s civil and criminal laws. But to blame the defeat of liberalizing legislation solely on Vallario is a misreading of the inner workings of the Maryland General Assembly
Read more“If it weren’t for the more moderate leadership in the Senate, things would be a lot worse than what they are” in the Maryland General Assembly, Sen. Ed Kasemeyer told Howard County business leaders Wednesday
Read moreWhat could guarantee better media coverage than a reception with a major celebrity closed to reporters, who gathered outside the Red Red Wine Bar in Annapolis as actor Kevin Spacey was ushered in the back door?
Maryland legislators and friends couldn’t resist posting pictures of themselves with “House of Cards” star Spacey on Facebook.
Read moreEnvironmental and land conservation advocates, along with county officials across the state, are gearing up to fight a Senate Budget Committee proposal to limit Program Open Space funding to $100 million a year. The Maryland Association of Counties said the cap on open space funding would result in “devastating” cuts of as much as $263 million over the next five years.
Read moreIn an effort to ensure Maryland’s millionaires don’t flee the state for cheaper pastures, the General Assembly approved Thursday a cut to the state’s estate tax.
After spirited debate and a 36-10 vote from the Senate, the bill was sent to Gov. Martin O’Malley, who is likely to sign the bill.
Read moreThe first instance of sexual abuse recounted in “10,000 Hills: A Little Boy’s Journey,” is detailed, graphic, and emotionally raw. The episode illustrates the tone of the entire book, written and recently self-published by Del. C.T. Wilson, a Democrat from Charles County.
The book recounts the years of abuse Wilson suffered both in the foster care system as well as after he was adopted, and it is painfully forthright.
Read moreThough he’s listed as chief sponsor of a bill that would cut Maryland’s estate tax, Senate President Mike Miller said Wednesday he only “reluctantly” supports his legislation, and its House equivalent, which delegates passed last week.
But, Miller said, it is important to keep Maryland’s rate competitive to those of other states.
Read moreWorkers on many local school construction projects would be paid at a higher rate under a prevailing wage bill approved Tuesday by the Maryland Senate. The bill would increase overall construction costs by as much as 5%, estimates the state Department of Legislative Services.
Read moreIn a flurry of activity to meet Monday’s deadline for bills sent to the Senate for action, the House of Delegates passed over 210 bills since Friday, most of them with unanimous or near unanimous votes.
Read moreMaryland’s voter registration rolls are bloated with names of dead people — an estimated 20,000 as revealed by a 2013 study from the state Republican party — and lawmakers are seeking a way to streamline the process of purging those names.
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