20080409 News Clips

NewsClips 04-09-2008

STATE NEWS

The cost of being rich

New tax bracket for Md. millionaires becomes law

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.millionaire09apr09,0,1722614.story

With the General Assembly's passage of the new 6.25 percent top tax rate on incomes above $1 million, and Gov. Martin O'Malley's signing of the bill yesterday, Maryland has apparently become the first state to create an actual millionaires' bracket. To join the Maryland club, you have to be a real millionaire - earning $1 million a year you can't offset with deductions. Just owning a big house that's appreciated won't cut it. Some sole proprietorships, limited liability corporations and other small businesses will pay, however. Howard Rensin, a successful Howard County businessman and developer, thinks many Maryland millionaires will decamp for less taxing locales. But others who move in affluent circles think most of those privileged enough to feel the additional burden will just "grin and bear it." By the end of the session, the idea of taxing the rich wasn't looking so bad to many of the Assembly's leaders. O'Malley jumped aboard the repeal bandwagon and re-endorsed the millionaires' tax.

Wrap-up for 'grueling' time

Officials complete session by signing foreclosure, computer tax bills

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.laws09apr09,0,5132764.story

Gov. Martin O'Malley and top General Assembly leaders capped off a whirlwind legislative session yesterday, signing into law the final piece of a foreclosure reform package and legislation that repealed Maryland's new computer services tax. Asked whether Marylanders would feel the effects of the additional budget cuts passed this year, O'Malley said, "Hopefully, if we've done our job, we'll be able to do cuts without biting into their priorities." "The 2008 legislative session has been another disappointing example of Gov. O'Malley's failure to provide responsible fiscal leadership," Del. Anthony J. O'Donnell, the House minority leader from Southern Maryland, said in a written statement. "Government continues to grow virtually unchecked, and the appetite for taxes has not been satisfied."

Global warming fight goes on

Success of other bills leaves O'Malley camp unfazed by failure of greenhouse measure

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.warming09apr09,0,1509972.story

The O'Malley administration plans to move forward with efforts to combat global warming, despite the legislature's rejection of a high-profile bill that would have curbed Maryland's greenhouse gas emissions, officials said yesterday. Secretary of the Environment Shari T. Wilson said that even without the bill mandating a 25 percent emissions reduction by 2020, Gov. Martin O'Malley secured enough of his energy policy priorities during the legislative session that ended Monday to make progress on climate change. Environmentalists, though disappointed by the failure of the Global Warming Solutions Act in the final hours of the 90-day legislative session, took heart in the energy legislation, which they say should advance the cause significantly. "I think the problem was that obviously there were a large number of us, including most prominently labor, who were very concerned about the potential impacts of what was, after all, one of the most far-reaching pieces of legislation the General Assembly has ever considered," said Michael C. Powell, a lobbyist for the Maryland Industrial and Technology Alliance, a group of manufacturers. With a batch of amendments being offered by proponents and opponents alike and the session ticking to a close, members of the House Economic Matters Committee opted to let the bill die.

Equal-access bill passes

Within three years, schools must allow disabled to compete

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-sp.disabled09apr09,0,6049210.story

Amid its flurry of final-day action, the General Assembly unanimously approved a bill requiring schools to provide disabled students access to sports programs, either among themselves or with able-bodied students. Under the measure known as the Fitness and Athletics Equity for Students with Disabilities, schools have three years to fully implement the requirements. The legislation, which takes effect in July, requires local school systems to submit their plans to the state education department, which would investigate complaints and could sideline noncompliant teams or withhold money from schools or school systems.

Carroll executive expansion OK'd

Bill will add two commissioners; police-force issue to go to referendum

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/carroll/bal-md.ca.govern09apr09,0,3351847.story

Carroll voters can expect an expanded Board of Commissioners, and a say in creating a county police force, with the approval of two bills aimed at helping to resolve both issues. The General Assembly passed the measures Monday - one requiring a referendum on a local ordinance to create a county police force, the other designing districts for five commissioners. "It was a struggle, but we got it out," said Del. Tanya Thornton Shewell, a District 5A Republican. But several Carroll state legislators, including Shewell and Sen. Larry E. Haines, said they favored giving residents a say - something Tregoning and others have supported. "The people needed to have a chance to weigh in on public safety issues," Shewell said. "I'm happy the people have won." Del. Susan W. Krebs said she had hoped the issue would be resolved locally, not in the Assembly. "Unfortunately, this just punts the ball down the road," Krebs said. "Now the commissioners have to go out and sell their plan. ... It's going to take a lot of good information being put out ... so that people can understand what their choices are." Also passed Monday was redistricting legislation that paves the way for a five-member Board of Commissioners.

Speed-camera, property bills fail during Assembly session

Funds for 3 parks, Healthy Howard plan approved

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/howard/bal-ho.bills09apr09,0,3163193.story

Bills allowing speed cameras and mobile home park residents the right to buy the land under their homes before a park is sold failed to win General Assembly approval before the 90-day session ended Monday night. The two bills represented the biggest issues local legislators faced this year, but they weren't the only local bills approved by the county delegation that failed to be enacted. A third measure offering liability protection, enjoyed by county government, to the new Howard County Revenue Authority under a self-insurance program also failed.

State called ‘an embarrassment’ for failing to pass anti-immigration bills

http://www.examiner.com/a-1328836~State_called__an_embarrassment__for_failing_to_pass_anti_immigration_bills.html

Bills seeking to deny many state benefits to illegal immigrants never made it out of committee this session. But Senate Republicans in the final hours almost succeeded in passing a floor amendment that would have made applicants for commercial driver’s licenses prove their legal presence in Maryland. Senate GOP leader David Brinkley of Frederick and Carroll counties said Maryland is now one of only five states that allow undocumented aliens to get a license. “Even the District of Columbia requires legal presence,” Brinkley told his colleagues. “We need to make sure they’re here legally.” Sen. Lowell Stoltzfus, a Lower Shore Republican, called the state “an embarrassment.” “We have become a mecca” for illegal aliens and a potential haven for terrorists, he said. Stoltzfus said a relative who works at the Motor Vehicle Administration told him that “van loads of out-of-state people” come to MVA offices for licenses. Responding to a question from The Examiner, O’Malley said he thought it was appropriate to wait three years to implement the documentation requirements of the REAL ID Act.

Electronic gambling device ban could affect jobs, boost slots

http://www.examiner.com/a-1328839~Electronic_gambling_device_ban_could_affect_jobs__boost_slots.html

The General Assembly late Monday enacted a ban on electronic gambling devices that supporters called necessary to combat competition to slot machines and the state lottery. Supporters of the ban, including House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, said the games compete with the state lottery and legitimate slot machines that could be legalized in a November referendum. “The fact of the matter is, you lose revenue by not voting on this for the state of Maryland,” Busch said. Opponents of the ban, including most lawmakers from Anne Arundel County, say the machines are tightly regulated. Anne Arundel is home to about 200 devices in three commercial bingo halls. If signed by O’Malley, the county stands to lose about $1.6 million in annual taxes and fees, and some parlor employees could lose their jobs.

Session wraps up on a green note

http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080409/METRO/516368290/1004

Maryland lawmakers approved broad environmental and energy initiatives to close the 2008 General Assembly session but delayed tough decisions on the state's persistent budget problems until they return in January. Critics cautioned against celebration, noting the slowing economy and a series of one-time fixes — such as cutting payments to a retiree benefits fund — to balance the state's $31.2 billion budget. "Government continues to grow virtually unchecked, and the appetite for taxes has not been satisfied," said House Minority Leader Anthony J. O'Donnell, Southern Maryland Republican. "The Democrat leadership is trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the taxpayers with empty rhetoric about spending cuts and sound fiscal management." Budget writers left $250 million in the state's cash reserves in expectation of deepening budget troubles before the 2009 session begins in January. Officials began preparing for a fight over a referendum to legalize slots gambling. Voters will decide in November whether to approve the placement of up to 15,000 slot machines across the state.

Strife Sinks National Harbor Bill

Showdown Engulfs Liquor Licenses

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/08/AR2008040803252.html

A bill to create new liquor licenses for the massive National Harbor development in Prince George's County died in the waning hours of Maryland's legislative session Monday night, torpedoed amid heated arguments about minority contracting at the project that escalated into a showdown between Gov. Martin O'Malley and a state senator. The bill would have allowed for 40 liquor licenses at National Harbor's entertainment complex on the Potomac riverfront, 20 of them to be issued by the county's liquor board in the next year. The bill also would have allowed liquor licenses at nightclubs that do not serve food, otherwise banned in the county, and alcohol at outdoor festivals for 120 days each year. A compromise worked out at the tense meeting Monday afternoon among O'Malley and senators would have capped licenses at 13. Soon after, National Harbor representatives requested that the bill be killed. Monday's unraveling of long-sought legislation -- a similar bill failed last year -- left some county politicians deeply concerned about elected leaders' inability to work out disputes.

Compromises Play Key Role in O'Malley Legislative Wins

Compromises Play A Major Role in Legislative Success

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/08/AR2008040803095.html

By the time the confetti fell at the close of Maryland's 90-day legislative session Monday night, Gov. Martin O'Malley had racked up far more wins than losses. But some of those victories arguably should be recorded with asterisks. O'Malley's willingness to compromise does not always guarantee success. His bill to expand the use of speed cameras statewide unexpectedly died Monday night as lawmakers raced toward their midnight adjournment. And an O'Malley-backed bill to curb greenhouse gases collapsed on the session's final day even after it had been watered down. Senate Minority Whip Allan H. Kittleman (R-Howard) said Democratic leaders engaged in a "24-7 attempt" to embarrass Ehrlich, making cooperation difficult. What appears to be compromise by O'Malley, Kittleman said, is often a realization by the governor that he is overreaching. "I think it is the legislature saying you can't go that far, even in the liberal Maryland legislature," Kittleman said. O'Malley's plan to compensate for lost revenue from the repealed computer services tax includes a $50 million cut in funding for transportation projects. Given that lawmakers increased spending on projects by more than $400 million a year during the special session, O'Malley said he considered the loss of $50 million a reasonable compromise.

Howard Community College gets Senate productivity award

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/college/bal-ho.hcc09apr09,0,5438610.story

Howard Community College has earned the U.S. Senate Productivity Award, announced earlier this week by the University of Maryland and U.S. Sens. Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin. The award, part of the university's Maryland Performance Excellence Awards Program, honors organizations for successfully implementing systematic processes for continuous improvement and achieving outstanding results. "Howard Community College is an incredible institution -- but an institution is only bricks and building. What makes it great is determined students, powerhouse faculty and consistent leadership," Mikulski said in a statement. "Community colleges are the gateway to the future. Howard Community College is an example of everything we want for our higher education facilities in Maryland." "I am very impressed by Howard Community College's commitment to offering its students the highest standards of quality, and by its continuous monitoring of student success and employee satisfaction," said Cardin in a statement.

Lawmakers pass bill to fill District 4 seat

Supporters say process will save money; opponents say congressman failed commitment to constituents

http://www.gazette.net/stories/040908/montnew62559_32355.shtml

Minutes before the General Assembly session ended Monday, lawmakers passed emergency legislation allowing a special summer general election to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of U.S. Rep. Albert R. Wynn. Wynn had represented the district since 1993. Donna F. Edwards of Fort Washington, who defeated him in the Feb. 12 primary, still faces Republican Peter James in November. Current law would have required Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) to leave the seat vacant or to call special primary and general elections. O’Malley said the single special election will save taxpayers money As part of the legislation, candidates for the special general election would be chosen by the local central committees for each party, which would then submit their recommendations to the state committees. But the reduced cost of the one special election was not enough to sway some GOP lawmakers. ‘‘This is an important piece of legislation, one that will choose the next congressional representative and one that will cost citizens $1.2 million because one individual decided he didn’t want to fulfill his obligation to his office,” said House Minority Leader Anthony J. O’Donnell (R-Dist. 29C) of Lusby. ‘‘Citizens of Maryland should not pay this bill and we don’t need it if [Wynn] ... stays in office till the normal time.” Others — including James — have questioned whether the process gives Edwards an unfair advantage in securing the seat.

EDITORIALS/OP-EDS

A session of compromise

Our view: Lawmakers wrap up a curative, cautious 90 days

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.session09apr09,0,6978191.story

There's likely enough good news coming out of the recently completed legislative session to soften the blow of last fall's tax increases and return a bit of luster to the image of Gov. Martin O'Malley, who took a subsequent beating in opinion polls. The $2 billion settlement with Constellation Energy Group (including the $170 credit for BGE customers), the rollback of the much-reviled tax on computer services, the imposition of greater controls on development around the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, and an anti-crime initiative that expands the state's DNA databank all are likely to sit well with the public. Still, there were limits to the General Assembly's willingness to tackle the controversial. Lawmakers failed to pass a global warming bill that ran afoul of labor unions. Meaningful campaign finance reform died in the Senate once again despite widespread support - and a willingness to defer its still-modest costs until after 2010. But there's also a pattern of cooperation and compromise that was often missing in Annapolis during the last term. Whether voters will see and appreciate this bigger picture remains to be seen; it's never easy for elected officials to brag about cutting public services a little bit instead of a lot. Yet that may be exactly what these challenging times require.

Children victims in latest session

http://www.examiner.com/a-1328827~Children_victims_in_latest_session.html

Shame on Del. Sheila Hixson. The Montgomery County Democrat held a bill in committee that could have helped boost education funding by millions throughout the state for both private and public school students. The Building Opportunities for All Students and Teachers, passed the Senate with bipartisan support. But thanks to Hixson, the House never voted on the measure, which would have given tax credits for up to 75 percent of donations by corporations to private scholarship funds and to public schools to start innovative programs. The Maryland State Teachers Association, which endorsed Hixson and whose political wing has donated more than $4,000 to her campaigns since 2001, opposed the bill because the group claimed it would take money away from public schools. True, it would reduce the number of students attending public schools and the funding following them. But fewer students require less money. Besides, is quantity of students the only thing that the unions care about? What about giving each student in Maryland a quality education? By killing the bill, Hixson basically said that if public schools can’t get every cent of funding, no one should.

Maryland's downhill slide

http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080409/EDITORIAL/89573083

The Maryland General Assembly ended its regular 2008 session Monday night with confetti, and Gov. Martin O'Malley, Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch all congratulated themselves on their accomplishments. But only a half-hearted thank you is in order. Perhaps the most important success was the decision to repeal the 6 percent "tech tax" on computer services companies that lawmakers passed during the fall special session. The tax would still be on the books if it had not been for a superb public-relations campaign launched by high-tech businesses to educate Marylanders about the fact that the tax would drive computer firms out of state. Unfortunately, during the final hours of the session, lawmakers decided to replace the job-destroying tech tax with a different plan to chase job producers to places like Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania. On other issues the just-completed session was a mixed bag. On other issues the just-completed session was a mixed bag.. But in other areas, lawmakers failed miserably: They failed to bar violent sexual predators from receiving "good time credits," which can substantially reduce their prison sentences; and, despite a valiant effort by Senate Minority Leader David Brinkley, the legislature failed to require that driver's license applicants prove that they are legally in the country.