Friday, April 19, 2013
After 16 years in the General Assembly, Bobby Zirkin is thinking about not running for re-election.
Bobby Zirkin is considering a life outside elected office. For the first time since being first elected to the House of Delegates in 1998, the now state Senator says he's thinking more about his relationships with his two young daughters than his political relationships in Annapolis. "The most important thing to me is to be a father who does his best not to miss anything," Zirkin said. "I don't want to miss any parent-teacher conferences or any softball games. "It's also not simple to run a business and be in the senate at the same time," said Zirkin, who has his own law practice in Owings Mills. "It's a very challenging thing." Zirkin represents the 11th District, which currently includes Owings Mills, Pikesville and a portion of Timonium…
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
The state comptroller criticized the university president for not attending the Board of Public Works meeting Wednesday to defend her decision to eliminate the men's baseball and soccer teams.
Comptroller Peter Franchot Wednesday called on Towson University President Maravene Loeschke to resign. "The president of Towson, in my view, has forfeited her claim on moral leadership," Franchot said during the Board of Public Works meeting in Annapolis. "It's with a heavy heart, I believe, in the best interest of Towson University that she should resign." The Towson University president was not present during the meeting. Instead, she was scheduled to speak at a breakfast meeting of the BWI Business Partnership about 30 minutes north of Annapolis. Marina Cooper, deputy chief of staff to Loeschke, wrote in an email that Loeschkehas the support of the University of Maryland System, as well as students and faculty at the university. "It's …
Friday, April 12, 2013
Sen. Jim Brochin says trend of school shootings is driven by people who want to "kill as many as we can."
Recent mass shootings around the country are being driven by people intent on killing as many as possible in order to set a record, according to state Sen. Jim Brochin. "There's a new game in town and it's: 'Let's go to a school and kill as many people as we can and beat the record,'" Brochin said, speaking of high capacity ammunition magazines and the mindset of shooters in incidents such as shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. There was also a shooting at Perry Hall High School on the first day of school. The senator made the comments on the C4 Show on WBAL 1090 AM during a discussion of gun control legislation recently passed by the Maryland General Assembly. Brochin, who represents the 42nd District, voted in favor …
Monday, April 8, 2013
The governor said the Towson University president may not have to come before the Board of Public Works next week.
Towson University President Maravene Loeschke may have an excused absence for next week's Board of Public Works meeting. Gov. Martin O'Malley Monday said he's not sure Loeschke will need to attend the meeting next week to answer questions about the elimination of the men's baseball and soccer programs. "I don't think I need her to [attend]," O'Malley said, adding that Loeschke had already been to Annapolis late last month to meet with him and Comptroller Peter Franchot. Loeschke has said that the programs needed to be eliminated because of concerns about federal Title IX laws that guarantee athletic participation for women attending college. The meeting with the governor resulted in $300,000 being added to a supplemental budget request to …
Thursday, April 4, 2013
The 28-19 vote helps Gov. Martin O'Malley's top legislative priority avoid a conference committee some believed would kill the legislation.
Maryland senators voted Thursday night to approve an amended gun control bill rather than send the legislation to conference committee. Senators approved the bill by a vote of 28-19 just one day after the House debated the bill for 10 hours over two-days and added 17 amendments to a bill previously approved by the Senate. The bill was a major component of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s legislative priorities for the 90-day legislative session. “The fact is, the Firearm Safety Act of 2013 provides no safety,” said Sen. EJ Pipkin, Senate Minority Leader. The concurrence means that the bill goes to Gov. Martin O’Malley for his signature rather than to a conference committee with just four days left in the session. Sen. Brian Frosh, a Montgomery …
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The amended bill, passed by a 78-61 vote, will go back to the Senate and possibly a conference committee.
The Maryland House of Delegates Wednesday passed gun control legislation proposed by Gov. Martin O'Malley by a vote of 78-61. The amended bill bans 40 kinds of rifles including the AR15, requires fingerprinting and licensing of all purchasers of new guns and broadens the law prohibiting firearms purchases by anyone who is involuntarily committed because of mental illness. The bill was a major component of O'Malley's legislative package announced at the beginning of the 90-day session. The House of Delegates debated the bill for nearly 10 hours over two days. The amended bill will return to the Senate. The bill could go to a conference committee if the Senate does not accept the changes made by the House. Both the House and Senate must …
Friday, March 29, 2013
The bill that increases the gasoline tax by as much as 20 cents by 2016 now heads to Gov. Martin O'Malley for his signature.
A tax that will increase the cost of gas by as much as 20 cents by 2016 was given final approval Friday by the Maryland Senate. The bill passed largely along party lines by a vote of 27-20. Eight Democrats joined all 12 Republicans in opposing the tax increase measure. The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is expected to sign the tax into law. The final vote came after legislators suspended the rules, allowing them to take both a preliminary and final vote in the same day and allow many lawmakers to leave the capital to observe Good Friday. The bill increases the state's tax on gas by more than 20 cents to 43.7 cents per gallon on July 2016. The tax would increase to 44.6 cents per gallon if the federal government …
Thursday, March 28, 2013
A preliminary vote in the full Maryland Senate could be scheduled as early as Friday.
The Senate Budget and Tax Committee Thursday approved a bill that would increase the gas tax by as much as 20 cents by 2016. Sen. Ed DeGrange, an Anne Arundel County Democrat, joined Republican Sens. David Brinkley, Richard Colburn and George Edwards in voting against the bill. The nine remaining Democrats on the committee voted in favor of the bill as approved last week by the House of Delegates. With the committee's approval, the bill could be scheduled for a preliminary vote by the full 47-member Senate as early as Friday. The bill would increase the state's tax on gas by more than 20 cents to 43.7 cents per gallon on July 2016. The tax would increase to 44.6 cents per gallon if the federal government fails to pass an Internet sales tax…
Friday, March 22, 2013
The final debate on the bill turns contentious amidst accusations that House Speaker Michael Busch cut short the debate and opportunity to vote.
Tempers flared Friday afternoon following the debate and final vote by the House of Delegates on a proposal to raise the gas tax in Maryland. When the final vote was taken, the House approved the bill 78-56 but the actual outcome, and roll call vote, remains a matter of contention amidst accusations from Republicans that the debate and final vote were ended too quickly. The bill would increase the state's tax on gas by more than 20 cents to 43.7 cents per gallon on July 2016. The tax would increase to 44.6 cents per gallon if the federal government fails to pass an Internet sales tax. The tax is also tied to the consumer price index, which would allow for automatic increases without any additional legislative action. Those increases are …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The proposed fee increase would generate an additional $17 million annually once fully implemented.
UPDATED (10:18 a.m.)—The cost of vehicle registrations would go up as part of a proposed gas tax bill being considered by the Maryland General Assembly. The bill, which is scheduled for a final vote Friday in the House of Delegates, contains an increase of $3.50 on the cost of registering a vehicle. The additional money would be allocated to the Maryland Emergency Medical System Operations Fund. The fee increase would increase revenues by about $17 million annually. The fees will go to offset an increase in salaries offered to pilots for the Maryland State Police. The agency has 11 vacancies within its 50 pilot positions, according to the review of the bill. The base pilot salary under the proposal would increase to $70,000 and the plan …
Brunosammar
12:30 am on Friday, May 10, 2013
Amdac why so bitter? I think sandy may have a good point. Instead of hiding on your couch eating Burger King get up and run. My guess is the voters would mock you back to your couch and a life of bitterness. But give it the old college try. Bitter and obsessive is no way to go through life amdac. Go make a difference in this world or do the rest of us a favor and stop talking. more ›