Monday, April 9, 2012
The Governor offers his take on the 2012 General Assembly with a specific focus on the budget, with just over an hour to the close.
As the clock ticks down to midnight in Annapolis, Maryland lawmakers are frantically working to pass the state's budget. With just over an hour to go, Gov. Martin O'Malley met with State House reporters to give his take on the 2012 legislative session, speaking specifically about the budget. (See video) Be sure to check back with Patch for a full recap of the 2012 General Assembly. What issues were most important to you? How would you grade lawmakers' decisions? Start the conversation in the comments section below.
Friday, January 13, 2012
State Sen. Norman Stone, D-Dundalk, examines the key issues lawmakers will try to tackle in the 2012 General Assembly session.
As I am sure you may already know, the 2012 Maryland General Assembly convened on Wednesday. Once again, I was appointed Senate Chairman of the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics and I will continue to serve as President Pro Tem Emeritus of the Senate. Additionally, I will serve on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. As a member of the Policy Committee and the Executive Nominations Committee, I will be actively involved in legislative policy, Judicial, State, and local appointments. As in the past, I intend to utilize my leadership positions on behalf of the residents of our district and Baltimore County. This year will be one of the most contentious sessions because of the many controversial issues that you have been reading…
Friday, September 9, 2011
State Sen. Norman R. Stone, Jr. writes that he has concerns about legislative redistricting and new taxes and fees going into the upcoming Special Session.
As you are probably aware we will be heading to Annapolis for a special session. The session is intended to address the proposed changes to the legislative district for the state of Maryland. The Redistricting Committee has been holding meetings around the state to give citizens the opportunity to offer input. Every 10 years, following the national census, the lines are redrawn to reflect the changes in population and provide adequate representation for every community in the state. You may recall during the last redistricting 10 years ago, the Dundalk/Edgemere communities were split so that it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to elect a legislator who lived in our communities. To add insult to injury the plan also put …
Friday, July 1, 2011
Republican delegates gathered in downtown Annapolis Thursday to deliver thousands of petitions to the Maryland Secretary of State's office.
Republican delegates delivered an overwhelming number of petitions to Annapolis on Thursday evening to get the Maryland Dream Act in front of the public for a vote in 2012. More than 12 boxes, each brimming with petition signatures, were stacked around the entrance to the Maryland Secretary of State’s office on Thursday evening. They were delivered there by volunteers and delegates who want to see the Dream Act canceled by placing it on the 2012 ballot for a statewide referendum. They needed 55,736 signatures. And Republican Del. Neil Parrott (R-Washington) said on Thursday that with this newest batch, they have amassed more than 110,000. Senate Bill 167, commonly called the Maryland Dream Act, would allow high-performing, undocumented, …
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Studies have shown that bottle deposits lead to reductions in beverage container litter ranging from 69 percent to 84 percent, and reductions in total litter ranging from 30 percent to 65 percent.
Over the years, I have had the honor to join hundreds of dedicated volunteers as part of various clean-up and stream/river restoration efforts in our district. These include clean-ups in the mud flats and shorelines of Back River as well as the cleaning efforts of Bread and Cheese Creek. As a result, hundreds of bags of debris and scores of tires have been removed from our local waterways, improving the health of our bay, increasing the property values of the area, and making our local environment more enjoyable. Due to these efforts, we have made tremendous progress in keeping our local waters clean. We are especially proud of the new trash boom that is now installed in Back River. Still, the trash boom has done little to address…
Monday, January 10, 2011
New county executive takes announcement show on the road for the first time in at least two decades.
County Executive Kevin Kamenetz is expected to announce his legislative priorities for what will be the first General Assembly session of his new administration during a morning news conference Tuesday in Annapolis. That's right—Annapolis. This is the first time in 16 years, and possibly longer, that a Baltimore County executive has announced his agenda outside of the county. Previously, under County Executives Jim Smith and Dutch Ruppersberger, such announcements were affairs held in Towson at the Old Courthouse—a serving of legislative meat and potatoes along with sausage, eggs and coffee for the county's state lawmakers in attendance. The meetings were as much a social gathering as they were the county executive's attempt to get …
Theresa Reuter
9:43 am on Sunday, April 29, 2012
Our State of Maryland is the sum of it's citizens. Well funded schools, universities, and the recreation facilities necessary to shape and guide our children and young adults into educated, fair minded leaders of tomorrow, is where our resources need to be spent. Think of the jobs in education, & recreation, now, & into a Just Future. more ›