Thursday, August 9, 2012
Supporters hope their presence will sway legislators to overturn a Maryland Court of Appeals decision that made the pit bull owners more libel for bites than other breeds.
Marylanders from across the state plan to gather in support of pit bulls at Lawyer's Mall Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. "We are holding the rally to try to encourage the Legislature to overturn Tracey v. Solesky," said rally organizer Pauline Houliaras. "We want the General Assembly to provide a solution now for Maryland families that have dogs rather than waiting until January." Houliaras hopes to get as many people to attend as possible, but she said dogs are not permitted. Signs on sticks are not allowed either. She also wants people to attend the judiciary committee hearings in both house of the General Asssembly—which is back in town for a special session on gambling starting Thursday. Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Chairman …
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Governor says 56-page bill "will create predictability in the marketplace" while protecting local and city aid and giving Prince George's County the ability to decide if it wants a sixth slots venue in its county.
Gov. Martin O'Malley Monday night released the 56-page bill that will be the focus of a special session on expanded gambling in the state. Legislators will be asked to vote on legislation that could add a sixth casino, most likely at National Harbor in Prince George's County as well as legalize table games. “The legislation we are sending to the members of the General Assembly will create predictability in the marketplace, protect local and city aid being generated at existing sites, ensure authorized facilities are able to be built, and allow the people of Prince George’s County the opportunity to decide whether they want a sixth site for the benefit of their county and revenue base," O'Malley said in a statement released just before 9 p.…
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Comptroller Peter Franchot argues the state needs to find a way to build businesses not casinos.
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Tuesday, July 31, 2012
By Comptroller Peter Franchot For anyone who remains unconvinced that the Maryland economy has lost momentum and is now moving in the wrong direction, the latest unemployment figures released by the U.S. Labor Department should remove all doubt. The State of Maryland lost 11,000 jobs in June – the third highest total in the nation, trailing only Wisconsin and Tennessee. This was our fourth consecutive month of job losses, and it elevated our state’s unemployment rate to 6.9 percent. Disappointing as those numbers are, they don’t tell the full story. Maryland also ranked 48th in Fiscal Year 2012 in both average private hourly and weekly earnings growth, and has actually experienced year-over-year declines in both categories. This means …
Friday, July 27, 2012
O'Malley says session, which begins on August 9, will be about job creation and funding for schools.
UPDATED (2:57 p.m.)—Gov. Martin O'Malley Friday announced he will call the General Assembly back to Annapolis for a special session on the issues of gambling and the creation of a sixth casino. "This is an issue about jobs," O'Malley said. "This is an issue about maximizing revenues from gaming." A bill was not available at the time of the morning news conference. O'Malley said it needed tweaking and would likely be made public shortly before the beginning of the special session. O'Malley, House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller all said the bill would create about 2,500 jobs from the legalization of table games and generate $100 million for schools. Sen. E.J. Pipkin Friday afternoon blasted O'Malley for …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Governor calls budget package "good for all Marylanders." Republicans say burden to local governments may force county governments to increase taxes.
The Maryland House of Delegates gave final approval Wednesday to a package of three bills that increases taxes on some state residents, shifts part of teacher pensions to local governments and undoes the so-called "doomsday budget." The votes Wednesday afternoon capped the three-day special session called by Gov. Martin O'Malley in order to override more than $500 million in cuts made in a budget passed in early April. The Senate approved the same three bills Tuesday. As part of the package, legislators approved by a vote of 86-51 what amounts to a 50-50 split of teacher pension costs with local governments. The split will be phased in over the next four years beginning July 1 with the new budget year. That bill also includes a doubling of…
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Plan to fix "Doomsday Budget" includes $247 million in tax increases and elimination of exemptions for single filers earning $100,000 or more and joint filers earning $150,000 or more.
UPDATE (5:59 p.m.)—Some Maryland residents will pay more taxes in the coming year under a plan worked out between Gov. Martin O'Malley and legislative leaders. O'Malley, accompanied by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, announced the nearly $35.8 billion plan during a Wednesday morning news conference in Annapolis to discuss the upcoming special session. "To leave this budget incomplete, to leave this budget as it stands right now, would damage the very forward motion that all of us, together, have worked so hard to achieve for our state," O'Malley said. "Progress is a choice," O'Malley said. "Job creation is a choice. Building America's number one schools, making a college education affordable, …
Monday, April 9, 2012
Budget bill must be passed by midnight or General Assembly will extend its session.
Gov. Martin O'Malley and House Speaker Michael Busch called on the Senate to compromise on a state budget in time for the General Assembly to end its session at midnight Monday. "The one constitutional obligation we have is to pass a balanced budget," Busch said, adding that House members assigned to the conference committee were prepared to complete negotiations. "Because one chamber has an obsession with a certain issue, that they do not want to concur on the budget until that issue is resolved does not initiate any responsible stand for us not to deal with the budget that is in front of us," Busch said speaking of a Senate effort to expand gambling to include table games and a sixth Maryland casino location in Prince George's County. …
Annapolis Resident 21401
5:46 pm on Thursday, August 9, 2012
I posted on related story that I hope everyone reads Kevin Dunne's letter to the Editor. It is very well written and clearly frames the issues at hand. I would be most interested in an analysis of the dog bites in a given year, the breed of dog and severity of injuries caused. I think you would see a pattern based on breed. more ›