News Clips
September 17, 2007
STATE NEWS
Judicial choices concern Md. GOP
Senate Republicans fear O'Malley will try to force court to left
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.court17sep17,0,7640459.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout
Gov. Martin O'Malley has a rare opportunity to reshape Maryland's highest court in coming months, making Senate Republicans worry that he will transform it into an activist bench issuing liberal rulings on hot-button social issues.
"I think everyone's concerned that the governor will try to put people on the court who bring a liberal activism to the court," said Senate Minority Whip Allan H. Kittleman, a Howard County attorney.
Senate Minority Leader David R. Brinkley of Frederick County said the state's high court has generally stayed out of the policy realm, but a months-long delay in a ruling on same-sex marriage makes Republicans worry that the trend might be changing.
"Our concern is that the governor appoint well-qualified judges and not people with a certain political slant," Brinkley said.
William Reynolds, a University of Maryland law professor, said that while O'Malley has the opportunity to move the court to the left, circumstances make that hard to engineer. Much depends on the judges' personalities, as a particularly persuasive judge can have a strong impact on a small court such as Maryland's, Reynolds said. And much of a court's path depends on the cases it chooses to hear as well as the ones that by law it must hear.
Dixon to push dozens of bills
Proposed legislation includes plans to fund developments, school
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.ci.mayor17sep17,0,6601067.story
From a proposal to regulate valet parking to a series of bills that will provide funding for the city's massive east-side development project, Mayor Sheila Dixon - fresh off winning last week's primary election - will introduce nearly three dozen bills in the City Council today.
The legislation, which is expected to be approved by the City Council, will be referred to a committee that oversees taxation and finance. Many of the bills are expected to receive smooth passage, given that Dixon won by an overwhelming majority in the Sept. 11 Democratic primary.
Fly ash deposit at mine to stop
Constellation plans to clean up water in affected Arundel area
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.flyash15sep15,0,1282275.story
Under threat of a lawsuit from state regulators, Constellation Energy Corp. said yesterday that it will stop dumping fly ash from coal at a mine in Anne Arundel County while it negotiates and carries out a plan to clean up neighbors' contaminated drinking water.
By Monday, Constellation will no longer drop off truckloads of fly ash, a byproduct of its coal-fired plants, at an 80-acre site in Gambrills owned by BBSS Inc., said Rob Gould, a Constellation spokesman, but he declined to say where it would deposit the debris instead.
Anne Arundel County officials, whose study showing high levels of contaminants in private wells in Gambrills and Crofton pressured the state to act step in, said Constellation's actions show the utility company acknowledges the seriousness of the health problem.
"The jury is still out on whether the protections they envision for the consent agreement prove to be as porous as the soil," County Executive John R. Leopold said. "There's been some serious disagreement about the performance of these liners." Leopold proposed the emergency bill in July and asked MDE Secretary Shari T. Wilson to classify combustion ash as a hazardous waste. Yesterday, he reiterated his call for a statewide prohibition of fly ash.
Mount Airy sets example saving water
MDE considers town's plan as model for state
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/carroll/bal-ca.water16sep16,0,4303777.story
The Maryland Department of the Environment is planning to use Mount Airy for a pilot study to see if its water-saving efforts this summer can be adopted throughout the state, according t o John Grace, an MDE water supply division chief. "They've made great strides," Grace said of Mount Airy.
Since Mount Airy enacted a mandatory outdoor water ban and distributed free reduced-flow fixtures and discounted rain barrels this summer, daily water use has dropped more than 100,000 gallons below the 855,000 gallons per day that the state currently permits, Mayor Frank M. Johnson said.
Both Grace and Johnson said Gov. Martin O'Malley's water resource advisory committee would be studying and looking to replicate Mount Airy's model. Substantial financial resources should be involved and announced in the coming weeks, Johnson said.
City weighs stadium parking fee
In revenue pinch, Aberdeen will study the possibility
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/harford/bal-md.ha.stadium17sep17,0,2447012.story
The board that manages Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen will study assessing a $2 per car parking fee for minor league baseball games and other events, part of an effort to solve financial woes the ballpark has created for the city.
Though IronBirds baseball games have been sold out since the 6,000-seat ballpark opened in 2002, the stadium has been a financial drain for the city.
The city's financial difficulties with the stadium were detailed in a March article in The Sun. Aberdeen has drawn criticism for not implementing a parking fee, viewed as a failure to capitalize on revenue options. Though not viewed as a cure-all for the money woes, the fees could be part of a broader solution.
More Gilchrest non-endorsements uncovered
http://www.examiner.com/a-936167~More_Gilchrest_non_endorsements_uncovered.html
Del. Barry Glassman joined a group of lawmakers denying an e-mail from U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest claiming they were part of his campaign team.
Gilchrest, R-District 1, sent an e-mail dated Sept. 4 naming his Harford County campaign team members, including Harford County Executive David Craig.
"Since Senator Harris is part of my delegation, I had a deference to him, and I've known Congressman Gilchrest for a long time," Glassman said.
"But I've told both of them that's not my district, and I don't have anything to do with that."
State leaders seeking $2 billion in new revenues
Most would come from increasing, adding taxes
http://www.capitalonline.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/09_16-22/TOP
State lawmakers will try to surpass Maryland's $1.5 billion deficit by raising up to $2 billion of new revenues as the economy heads into tougher times.
The fact that the state is looking to fill its coffers beyond just the deficit is not a surprise to Senate Minority Leader David Brinkley, R-Frederick.
"They want to clear the deck," Mr. Brinkley said. "They have an insatiable appetite (for taxing)."
To date, little in the way of specifics has come from Gov. Martin O'Malley about which taxes will be raised in his budget plan. To date, little in the way of specifics has come from Gov. Martin O'Malley about which taxes will be raised in his budget plan.
O'Malley undecided on special session
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20070915/METRO/109150036/1004
Gov. Martin O'Malley still hasn't made up his mind whether to call a special session of the legislature to address Maryland's projected deficit - but he's getting closer to making his tax proposals.
The governor will meet next week with top lawmakers to present his plan, an aide said yesterday. Maryland must raise taxes, or cut more than a billion in spending, because state spending is growing faster than tax receipts.
The governor has already made some cuts but says the shortfall can't be covered without some new taxes. Specifics haven't been announced, though planning has been in the works for months.
EDITORIALS/OP-EDS
One Important Step Toward Cleaning Up the Chesapeake Bay
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/14/AR2007091401746.html
While the Chesapeake Bay faces a multitude of pollution sources, there is some good news: Congress has taken great strides to reduce flows from one of its largest wastewater pollution sources. The 2007 Water Resources Development Act was overwhelmingly passed in the House (381 to 40) last month.
The act contains provisions benefiting the Blue Plains wastewater treatment plant, the world's largest advanced wastewater treatment plant.
The federal funding provisions would prevent raw sewage from flowing into Rock Creek, the Anacostia and Potomac rivers, and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. They will also improve the plant's capacity to remove nutrients that deprive our waters of life-supporting oxygen.
When combined with the efforts of our congressional delegation on the 2007 farm bill, these reductions could truly matter in restoring the precious waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
NATIONAL NEWS
Republican Keyes launches 3rd bid for presidency
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MD_KEYES_2008_MDOL-?SITE=MDSAL&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Alan Keyes, a Republican whose two previous runs for president ended in failure, is making a third try for the White House.
The Maryland conservative announced on his Web site that he filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Friday to make his candidacy official.
In an interview with radio talk show host Janet Parshall, Keyes noted the wide-open nature of the GOP race.
"There isn't a standout," Keyes said. "I'm like a lot of folks, who have just looked at it and been unmoved."
Metro to Receive $35 Million in New Funds
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0907/456093.html
Metro will receive $35 million in new funding to purchase additional rail cars and upgrade the transit systems power grid.
Maryland's U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski made the announcement Monday.
"This money is an important piece of the funding package, but it simply helps us catch up to existing needs," said Senator Cardin. More than 800,000 people now ride Metrorail on some weekdays, making it the second busiest mass transit line in the nation.
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