Legislative

President Obama was in Maryland yesterday to announce a plan to forge a public-private partnership in expanding access to high-speed internet access to the nationas public schools and libraries.

Read more at the Washington Post.

2/5/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator

Today's Baltimore Sun has a really good editorial on the Governor's plan to cut $100 million in state contributions to the pension. They aregue against O'Malley's plan, saying the cut amounts to a special tax on employee's and their retirement.

Read more at the Baltimore Sun.

2/5/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator

The governor's budget, which he introduced last week, includes $4.3 million to add 1600 spots in Maryland's pre-k program. The schools would apply for a grant to expand their program, and the money for that grant wold come from that $4.3 million. Read more at HeraldMailMedia.com.

2/3/14

Delegate John Olsziewski and Senator Cathy Pugh are set to introduce a Paid Sick Leave Bill. The bill would mandate earned sick leave, giving 700,000 people this option that they never had before. It was introduced last year by Olsziewski, but this year, might have a bit more momentum. More at the ChestertownSpy.org.

2/3/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator

According to the Baltimore Sun, the state is coming close to cutting the Estate Tax, a tax that is only paid in the state by millionaires. Read the story at the Baltimore Sun.

2/3/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator.

After weeks of promising to investigate what has gone wrong with the state's roll-out of its new healthcare exchange, top legislative leaders are now saying that they will wait until the state does an official audit that will begin this summer and take a year to complete. This has angered republicans and some democrats saying that this will deflect pressure from Anthony Brown as he runs for Governor this year.  Read more at the Washington Post.

2/3/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator

Nancy Kopp, Maryland State Treasurer, criticized O'Malley's plan to cut $100 million from the pension fund to balance the budget, saying it would hurt the fund's credit rating. Read more at the Maryland Reporter.

2/3/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator

A big fight this legislative session, and this political season, will be the stormwater runoff tax (referred to as the "rain tax"), and attempt to repeal it. Environmental groups have started to mount an ad camapign, according to the Baltimore Sun. A number of Republicans have introduced bills delaying or repealing the implementation of the tax, designed to prevent storm water runoff from polluting the Chesapeake Bay.

Read more at the Baltimore Sun.

1/23/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator

Despite calls for lowering tax rates from state republicans and a few democrats, a recent study found that Maryland has (and has had over time) the most millionaires per capita in the US. Despite calls saying that Maryland's high tax rate would force the top earners to other states, the data show that this is simply just not the case.

More at the MarylandJuice.com.

1/23/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator

In response to Sandy Hook, O'Malley commissioned a panel to look at how the state can better handle and treat mental health problems. The commission issues its report yesterday.

Read more at the Baltimore Sun.

1/22/14 Todd Reynolds, Political Action Coordinator