20080327 News Clips

NewsClips 03-27-2008

STATE NEWS

Deal may end 'tech tax'

O'Malley, leaders back income tax surcharge and cuts in spending

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.tax27mar27,0,1651317.story

Gov. Martin O'Malley and top leaders in the General Assembly are lining up votes for a plan to replace Maryland's new computer services tax with an income tax surcharge on top earners and cuts to transportation and other spending. The plan has the backing of Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and Sen. Ulysses Currie, the Prince George's County Democrat who chairs the powerful Budget and Taxation Committee. O'Malley's proposal still faces tough opposition from the Montgomery County delegation, the state's largest voting bloc. Miller said the Senate would take up the measure Monday, but he placed the responsibility for rallying votes with the governor. Republicans immediately criticized the proposal. "We have offered plan after plan that would fund all of it with reductions in spending," said Del. Anthony J. O'Donnell, the House minority leader. "We're not going to get into the game of shifting tax burdens around."

Constellation, state agree to settle lawsuits

Move would secure one-time $170 rebate for BGE customers

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.bge27mar27,0,7432257.story

Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to announce today a settlement with Constellation Energy Group, ending a bitter battle between the state and BGE's parent company and securing $187 million in one-time rebates for more than 1 million residential customers, according to state officials who have been briefed on the agreement. The rebates would amount to $170 per customer and be applied to bills by the end of the year. Constellation spokesman Robert L. Gould would not confirm or discuss details of the agreement. "We continue to hold discussions with the state in an effort to resolve the issues related to our respective pending litigation," he said. Besides the rate relief, the agreement clarifies the public service commission's authority to examine the books and records of all utilities, including those of Constellation and its various affiliated companies. Lawmakers had been threatening to pass a bill granting the PSC subpoena power if the company did not reach an agreement with the state.

Md. Senate revises energy credit

Panel proposes to trim electric bills $2, fund efficiency, rebate plans

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.rates27mar27,0,6465355.story

A day after advancing a proposal to give homeowners an estimated $5 monthly credit on their electric bills, state lawmakers decided yesterday to cut that amount to less than $2 while directing the rest to conservation and other programs designed to reduce energy use. The Senate panel voted Tuesday to give all of that money to ratepayers' credits, with several lawmakers championing the idea as a way to give consumers relief as soon as possible from double-digit increases in electricity rates. The issue has become a potent political topic and a difficult one to address because of the complexity of the energy markets. When the panel took up that proposal yesterday, Sen. Allan H. Kittleman, a Republican who represents Carroll and Howard counties, said: "This is where the ratepayers get the shaft." Other lawmakers also objected. Sen. E.J. Pipkin, an Eastern Shore Republican, called the proposal "a victory for bureaucracy" because the funding for efficiency and conservation programs would accrue to the energy administration. He said that ratepayers should decide how to spend the money and that redirecting the money amounted to "blind faith that the government's going to do it better than the consumer."

Loophole in smoking ban gets backing

Baltimore Co. bar owners seek 'outdoor' exemption

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.smoking27mar27001519,0,771578.story

Del. Joseph J. "Sonny" Minnick co-owns a tavern in Dundalk, and he said he's lost business since the state banned smoking in bars and restaurants. Now, at the request of fellow tavern owners, he is backing a bill that would create an "outdoor" exemption for Baltimore County bars and restaurants. This week, the proposal won the support of a state Senate committee, alarming health advocates. The measure would allow smoking on enclosed decks and patios, in tents or in other outdoor structures of bars and restaurants, and it would apply only to Baltimore County. Eric Gally, lobbyist for the Cancer Society and Heart Association, said allowing Baltimore County establishments some relief from the smoking ban would lead to pressure to extend the exemption across the state. The fear of businesses in neighboring jurisdictions getting a competitive edge from local smoking bans was what tied up the issue for years, he said. "We don't want to keep refighting the fight," he said. "The legislation that passed was designed to maintain a level playing field for everybody."

Senate passes bill on utilities

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.sbriefs27mar27,0,3021891.story

The Maryland Senate approved a bill yesterday that would require gas and electric companies to notify customers at least once a year of any charges they assess for energy efficiency and conservation programs. The legislation, which passed the Senate unanimously, came in response to controversy over Allegheny Power, a Western Maryland utility, sending customers energy-saving light bulbs and then adding the cost to their monthly bills. Under the legislation, utilities must tell customers on their bills and through the company's Web site about the charges imposed and the benefits of such programs. The House of Delegates approved a similar bill this month.

Educational challenges discussed

Meeting focuses on impact of 'No Child Left Behind'

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.ar.simon27mar27,0,5508691.story

Raymond Simon, deputy secretary for the U.S. Department of Education, met with 19 of Maryland's high-ranking educators yesterday and fielded their questions and concerns about the No Child Left Behind Act. Simon and U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings have visited 25 states since February to discuss the impact of the act, which requires school systems to bring students up to grade level in reading and math by 2014. Anne Arundel's Superintendent Dr. Kevin Maxwell asked if there would be any flexibility in requiring all students to reach the target goals of No Child Left Behind in 2014. Simon stressed that there was no flexibility on this issue. Maxwell lamented about the lack of a pool of highly qualified teachers. He added that universities are not producing large numbers of highly qualified teachers and that local school systems are being held responsible for it. "All we can do is hire what is there," Maxwell said last night after the discussion ended. "It would be great if our colleges and universities could produce enough teachers for us." Other comments included: the need for the federal government to provide more funding at the local school level, finding a way to better share best practices among all school systems, and rebuilding the reputation of schools that are labeled "persistently dangerous."

Push to restrict benefits for illegal immigrants fails

http://www.examiner.com/a-1304370~Push_to_restrict_benefits_for_illegal_immigrants_fails.html

Lawmakers have killed more than two dozen wide-reaching proposals targeting illegal immigrants, from establishing English as the state’s official language to requiring proof of citizenship for all public benefits. Republicans introduced legislation to cut state aid from counties who pass “sanctuary” laws forbidding government employees from inquiring about a person’s legal status. Del. Anthony O’Donnell, the House Republican leader from Calvert County, backed legislation that would require all Marylanders to show proof of citizenship before receiving benefits like public housing and food assistance, a proposal modeled on legislation passed in Colorado. O’Donnell said the proposals at least stimulated debate. He settled for the Democratic-lead study, saying a finding of net financial loss is all but inevitable. “Our constituents are applying increasing pressure on elected officials to take a tougher stand — to quit making Maryland a magnet state for illegal activity,” O’Donnell said. “Next year I think we will have to fish or cut bait.”

Prosecutors frustrated with bills not passed

http://www.examiner.com/a-1304378~Prosecutors_frustrated_with_bills_not_passed.html

Prosecutors faulted state lawmakers for rejecting efforts to toughen laws targeting gangs. The House Judiciary Committee voted down four bills that would have extended sentences for a broader range of crimes often committed by gang members. Del. Don Dwyer, R-District 31, a Judiciary Committee member, said he got no answer when he asked other lawmakers what he should tell a regional anti-gang task force for which he volunteers. Del. Susan McComas, chairwoman of the Harford County delegation, said the committee rejected the bills in part because prosecutors hadn’t used existing gang law enough to show it needed strengthening. Harford County State’s Attorney Joseph Cassilly blamed the Judiciary Committee for weakening gang legislation last year, while Burns said Gov. Martin O’Malley and defense attorneys on the committee helped “gut” it. “It’s like giving us a car with four flat tires and asking us to prove that the flat tires affect its performance,” Cassilly said. Sen. Nancy Jacobs had sponsored eight gang-related bills in the Senate, four of them identical to those voted down in the House committee.

Howard may negotiate lower tax collection fee

http://www.examiner.com/a-1304374~Howard_may_negotiate_lower_tax_collection_fee.html

Howard County’s plan to take on the duties of collecting a real estate tax, rather than paying the state for the task, was intended to save money. But, it could make more sense to negotiate a better deal with the state, officials said. “It’s not as cost-effective overall to the citizens” of the county and Maryland, said Councilman Greg Fox, R-District 5. State law requires Howard to pay the 5 percent fee, but Del. Gail Bates, a Howard County Republican, is pushing a bill that would allow counties to broker a deal down to 2 percent. “It gives counties the flexibility if they are considering taking it over themselves,” Bates said. Howard Circuit Court Clerk Margaret Rappaport said, “I would have no problem reducing the fee from 5 to 2 percent.” In Anne Arundel, which took over the duties this year, officials estimate they can save at least $1 million, Budget Director John Hammond said. The county was paying $1.5 million a year because of the 3 percent fee. “We talked to some folks at the state about reducing the fee from 3 percent to 1 percent, but we couldn’t get to first base on that,” he said.

Md. Enviro Center May Get Green Light

http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=598&sid=1373179

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett loves talking about energy conservation, but there's one audience he hasn't been able to reach: thousands of tourists who drive through his western Maryland district to visit the nation's capital. Now Maryland's General Assembly is considering a bill that could help revive the Republican congressman's longtime dream of combining the latest energy-saving technology with a highway rest stop along busy Interstate 270 near Frederick, about 45 miles northwest of Washington. The bill, with bipartisan support and the backing of Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley's administration, would create a state Clean Energy Center. "Much of what they want to do in the Maryland Clean Energy Center is exactly what we wanted to do with our green welcoming center, and that is to showcase the technologies that people could use themselves," Bartlett said. He mentioned rainwater collection, composting toilets, constructed wetlands for filtering wastewater, solar panels, passive solar heating and wind turbines.

EDITORIALS/OP-EDS

DNA bill gives state excess power

http://www.examiner.com/a-1304359~DNA_bill_gives_state_excess_power.html

Phew. It’s not as bad as it could have been. That’s about all we can say about legislation passed in the state Senate on Tuesday that allows law enforcement officers to collect DNA samples from those charged in violent crimes. Gov. Martin O’Malley wanted samples collected after mere arrest. Think about that. Police in this state need no warrant, charge or judicially reviewed probable cause to arrest any citizen. You could be arrested and not charged for something as trivial as loitering, and the government would take your DNA for posterity under the original version. At least the revised bill (it must be reconciled with a House version) calls for automatic expungement of DNA when a suspect is acquitted. But what safeguards are in place to ensure that happens and that DNA is not misplaced or mishandled? DNA evidence is a powerful tool to both exonerate and to convict. But the means of collecting it must not violate the most basic protections guaranteed by our Constitution. Legislators should refuse to reconcile House and Senate versions and let stand the current law permitting collection of DNA only from convicted felons.

Bush's Africa legacy

By Michael Steele

http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080327/EDITORIAL/631296533/1013

President Bush showed the world that it isn't words, but actions, that truly make a difference. Millions throughout Africa would agree. Mr. Bush recently completed a historic visit to the African continent; a trip he described as "the most exciting, exhilarating, uplifting trip" of his presidency. During his visit, we saw pictures of the president dancing, celebrating and attending ceremonies with heads of state. But the real story is not about just this one trip; it is about the commitment the president made to Africa and what the United States has been quietly accomplishing throughout the continent over the past eight years under Mr. Bush's leadership. While critics here at home, including many in the press, focused on attacking Mr. Bush at every turn, he steadfastly pushed for greater investments to help the families and businesses of Africa. It's the great untold story that has rarely made headlines here in America, but even so, it has truly changed the world for millions of Africans. During my trade mission to Africa as Maryland's lieutenant governor and on subsequent visits, I had the opportunity to witness firsthand how the seeds of empowerment were being planted through market reforms, health initiatives and long-term strategic planning across the African continent. The time is ripe for Africa — and an African renaissance is beginning to emerge across the globe. Because of the efforts of the Bush administration, America will have an important role to play in helping to sustain that renaissance. Michael Steele, former lieutenant governor of Maryland, is chairman of GOPAC.