A little bit of everything
The presidents of two major business groups that seek to influence State House policy are leaving.
On Monday, Kathy Snyder, long-time president of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, announced her retirement. And today (Tuesday) is the last day for Kim Burns, president of Maryland Business for Responsive Government, an organization she headed for three years.
Read moreThis monthly roundup covers Maryland election news in December and lists every candidate who has filed and most who have announced.
Read moreGet the new Maryland State House 2014 Birthday Calendar produced by the staff of MarylandReporter.com.
It includes the birthdays of all 188 members of the Maryland General Assembly.
Maryland legislators elected next year would see their salaries rise to $50,330 in 2018, a 16% raise over the next four years recommended Monday by the General Assembly Compensation Commission.
If the legislature accepts the recommendation, it would give the part-time lawmakers their first raise in eight years. Delegates and senators currently make $43,500.
Read moreSalary hikes for Maryland’s next governor, members of the General Assembly and other statewide officials elected next year are set to be decided next week by two compensation commissions specially appointed for this task.
None of these officials have had pay hikes since 2006, and the legislature rejected recommendations from these same commissions four years ago to increase the salaries slightly.
Read moreA new poll found strong public support for increasing Maryland’s minimum wage to $10 an hour, a step being pushed for the upcoming General Assembly session.
The poll by Goucher College also found the majority of the Maryland public regards current pensions for retired state employees as too low, and also thinks all Maryland workers, not just those employed by the state or local governments, should have a pension.
Read moreSenate President Mike Miller is making changes to chamber rules that he hopes will result in a busier workload during the early weeks of the legislature’s 90-day annual session. “We’re battling against human nature, which for most people means putting off issues that could be dealt with today.”
Read moreDemocratic Senate President Mike Miller announced Wednesday night that Howard County Sen. Jim Robey will become majority leader of the Senate for Robey’s final year. He replaces Sen. Rob Garagiola who resigned in August.
In the surprise announcement at a fundraiser for the man running to succeed Robey in District 13 — Del. Guy Guzzone — Miller also said that Guzzone would fill Robey’s seat on the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee in 2015.
Read moreOverwhelming voter disapproval of a gas tax hike earlier this year has helped drive Gov. Martin O’Malley’s job approval rating below 50% for the first time in three years, a new poll found. The Gonzales Research poll also found marginal support, 49% to 44%, for the repeal of the death penalty O’Malley pushed, but wider support for the gun control measures the governor also backed, 58% to 40%.
Read moreSen. David Brinkley of Frederick is back as Senate Republican leader, unanimously elected Monday by the 12-member GOP caucus, which also chose Sen. Joseph Getty of Carroll County as minority whip. Brinkley replaces Sen. E.J. Pipkin of Cecil County, who abruptly quit in August to move to Texas.
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