Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label Journalists Lazarick-Len. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Journalists Lazarick-Len. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

Len Lazarick: Historic Republican gains in Maryland as Hogan wins; GOP picks up execs, House and Senate seats

Historic Republican gains in Maryland as Hogan wins; GOP picks up execs, House and Senate seats

Published on November 5th, 2014 | by Len Lazarick

By Len Lazarick Len@MarylandReporter.com

Maryland Republicans made historic gains in Tuesday’s election.


Larry Hogan Jr. became just the third Republican elected governor in the past 50 years, winning by almost the same 51.5% margin and carrying almost the same number of counties as Gov. Bob Ehrlich, the last Republican chief executive 12 years ago.

Sen. Allan Kittleman became just the second Republican Howard County executive in its history, and Del. Steve Schuh, as expected, kept the Anne Arundel County executive office in GOP hands. On the Lower Shore, Bob Culver defeated Democrat Richard Pollitt, the first Wicomico County executive.

[…]

Republicans picked up nine seats in the House of Delegates and two in the state Senate. The GOP will have 52 seats in the 141-seat House, when just months ago their leaders thought they would be lucky to hold onto the 43 seats they currently have, already a historic high number for Republicans in the Maryland House. http://marylandreporter.com/2014/11/05/historic-republican-gains-in-maryland-as-hogan-wins-gop-picks-up-execs-house-and-senate-seats/
*****

Friday, April 27, 2012

MarylandReporter.com: Republicans emboldened by budget mess and tax hikes: Hogan, Madden, Craig



The budget mess that has led to plans for a special legislative session has further emboldened Republicans to seek fiscally conservative solutions to what they see as failed policies of the Democratic monopoly. Larry Hogan has 12,000 people in his Change Maryland group; Marty Madden has an exploratory committee for governor and would seek public financing; and David Craig seems the best organized.

Special sessions could throw wrench into political fund-raising efforts; NAACP backs holding two sessions, but opinions are mixed on how it might turn out; Rocky Gap gets slots OK and Maryland Live! set to open in June; Sierra Club intends to block export of fracking gas; and Franchot targets cigarette smuggling.

Editor and Publisher: Len Lazarick; Associate Editor: Megan Poinski; Roundup Editor: Cynthia Prairie
*****

Sunday, October 09, 2011

Len Lazarick - MarylandReporter.com: Congressional redistricting map targets Bartlett and reshapes 6th District

Congressional redistricting map by the governor's redistricting advisory committee

Congressional redistricting map by the Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee


http://marylandreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/GRAC-map.jpg


Len Lazarick - MarylandReporter.com:Congressional redistricting map targets Bartlett and reshapes 6th District


October 04, 2011

The congressional redistricting plan recommended to Gov. Martin O’Malley, as expected, targets Republican Rep. Roscoe Bartlett in the 6th Congressional District, taking Carroll County and much of Frederick County out of the district, according to a map given to MarylandReporter.com and others Monday night.

The Republican official who shared the map said, “It was presented tonight [Monday] by the governor to a small group of people.” The map and its accompanying commentary appear to be the official draft of the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Committee.

The Associated Press and The Washington Post are reporting that the plan was approved Monday morning by the committee in 4-1, with only Republican former Del. James King dissenting.

The plan would make it more likely that Democrats could pick up another of Maryland’s eight districts in addition to the six they already hold.

The shapes of the 6th and 8th Congressional Districts are much like a map MarylandReporter.com published two weeks ago, with the 6th taking on half of Montgomery County. A large part of northern Frederick County is attached to the 8th Congressional District now represented by Rep. Chris Van Hollen, ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee.

The presentation that explains the maps says: “Approximately 70% of Marylanders stay in their current Congressional District” and the “plan does not draw any incumbent member of Congress out of his district.”
The other six congressional districts look much like “option 1” leaked to the Post and Baltimore Sun on Friday.

As shown in those maps and the earlier one, the 1st Congressional District now represented by freshman Republican Andy Harris becomes an even more solidly Republican and rural district. It includes all of the Eastern Shore, most of Harford County, and runs across the top of Baltimore County to include half the land area of Carroll County...  http://marylandreporter.com/2011/10/04/congressional-redistricting-map-targets-bartlett-and-reshapes-6th-cd/

*****

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Len Lazarick - MarylandReporter.com: Hurricane impacts redistricting hearings


Hurricane impacts redistricting hearings


September 01, 2011
Maryland congressional districts
This map from the Department of Planning shows population growth during the last decade in the state's eight current congressional districts.
Former Delegate Jim King put on a suit and tie for the redistricting hearings in Annapolis and Columbia Tuesday.

http://marylandreporter.com/2011/09/01/hurricane-impacts-redistricting-hearings/

[...] 

In both venues, more Republicans than Democrats chose to testify, perhaps because they recognized that redistricting in Maryland has tended to hurt Republicans and favor Democrats.

The five-member advisory committee appointed by O’Malley is chaired by his patronage chief Jeanne Hitchcock and includes Senate President Mike Miller, House Speaker Mike Busch, and Richard Stewart, a businessman who chaired the governor’s reelection campaign in Prince George’s County. All are Democrats except for King.

They are supposed to recommend a congressional redistricting map in September and a legislative redistricting map in December. There will be a special session of the General Assembly in October to enact the congressional map.

The Annapolis hearing kicked off with a harangue from Brian Griffiths, president of the Maryland Young Republicans, who complained about the hearing’s timing and called the current congressional district maps “disgraceful.”

[...]

http://marylandreporter.com/2011/09/01/hurricane-impacts-redistricting-hearings/

–Len Lazarick

Read more: http://marylandreporter.com/2011/09/01/hurricane-impacts-redistricting-hearings/#ixzz1XtgdR0Za 
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

*****

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Annapolis Week - Reporter's Roundup


From: OnTheHillMedia | Apr 13, 2011


Len Lazarick (MarylandReporter.com), Kenny Burns (WNAV), John Wagner (Washington Post), and Lou Davis (Maryland Public Television) discuss what was accomplished in the 90 day General Assembly and what could happen in the upcoming special session. Filmed by Fosie Weston of On The Hill Media



Great review of the past session of the Maryland General Assembly: John Wagner Kenny Burns Lou Davis Len Lazarick Annapolis Week - Maryland Reporter's Roundup http://t.co/NYNqold via @youtube



Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Maryland Reporter: AFSCME members ask legislators to keep pensions and health benefits the same


January 13, 2011 By Megan Poinski


More than 100 members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees came to Annapolis on Wednesday to lobby the 428th General Assembly for their No. 1 priority: preserving the health and pension benefits they have.

Before the session began at noon on Wednesday, union members from throughout the state filed into a public lounge in the House Office Building. AFSCME staff handed out green hats and scarves to the union members, as they signed onto a sheet with their names and legislative districts. Once they signed in, they sat at tables organized by district number and prepared to visit their newly elected representatives.

AFSCME is the largest union for state employees. Legislative director Sue Esty said that with several proposals circulating to make cuts in pension and health benefits – as well as recent furloughs, pay cuts and hiring freezes – the union members want to make sure they set the right tone for this General Assembly session.

[…]

Recent deliberations and recommendations from the Public Employees’ and Retirees’ Benefits Sustainability Commission galvanized the union members and spurred them into action. The eight-member commission created by legislation last year is recommending that the General Assembly cut state costs of health insurance 10% by hiking premiums and reducing coverage for state employees and retirees, and shift half the costs of teacher pensions to local school boards over the next three to five years.

[…]

At Wednesday’s rally, correctional officer Greg Currie, who works at the Metropolitan Transition Center in Baltimore, said he has attended pension commission meetings – even testifying about retirement benefits at a public hearing. Currie said that he just wants to see pensions and health care stay the same. He has written to his representatives in the General Assembly about the issue, and is hopeful that they will make a careful decision.

[…]


Related – also see:
January 12, 2011
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Today is the first day of the 428th legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly and, as in past years, the main question on the minds of the leadership of this august body’s deliberations will be, “Welcome to Maryland, what’s in your wallet?”

January 5, 2011
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Now that the hangover from last November’s Maryland General Election is becoming a memory, and Marylanders have begun to put away the Christmas lights and joined a local gym to shed those holiday pounds, many are beginning to set their sights on January 12, the beginning of the 2011 session of the Maryland General Assembly.

Sunday, January 09, 2011

MarylandReporter.com launches redesigned website

Special edition, Sunday, January 9, 2011
MarylandReporter.com launches redesigned website

From: Len Lazarick
Editor and Publisher

  MarylandReporter.com over the weekend launched a redesigned website that we think looks more vibrant and newsy, and adds some of the features you may be used to at other news sites.
  The site now allows us to use more photos, makes commenting on our stories easier, improves our search function and adds a new blog called Annapolitics.
  Our new site is easier to read and interact with. It gives more prominence for photos and better ways to display them and to share videos. We’ll be doing more of videos and more podcasts in weeks to come.
  Almost all the content we’ve produced over the past 15 months has been moved to the new site. The rest will be moved Monday. The only downside is that if you saved a link to one of our stories or daily State Roundups in the past, those links will no longer work, and you’ll have to find those stories again. Also, if you’ve subscribed to RSS feeds, you’ll need to subscribe again as well. Sorry for the inconvenience.
MAKING COMMENTS: The new site allows readers to interact with us and with each other in a very easy way. While we will “moderate” the comments for inappropriate language or libelous content after they are posted, we will no longer need to “approve” the comments that come in. We hope you’ll take advantage of this.
ANNAPOLITICS: Some people call our whole news website a “blog” – we won an award in that category from the Society of Professional Journalists. But we didn’t really have a true blog on the site that would spur conversations with readers and sources. We’re hoping to put fresh content on the Annapolitics blog every day – hopefully edgier and funnier than our news stories. And we encourage our buddies (and our adversaries too) from other blogs of every stripe to weigh in with their postings.
SEARCHING: At last, the search engine on the site will display the results with the newest items first. If you’re looking for an old story, and you know the headline or topic, try putting that into the search function.
TWITTER: A window on the right side of our homepage shows tweets from users talking about Maryland politics. When the General Assembly session begins, we hope that our Twitter window will be a source for what is going on in hearings and meetings in real time.
GIVE US FEEDBACK: Let us know what you think about the redesign, and especially let us know if you think something is not working properly, or you can’t find an older story.
Some of the ideas behind our redesign came from the reader survey we did in October. We got 118 responses. Those surveyed overwhelmingly liked our stories and State Roundup, but gave lower marks to the site’s interactivity and ease of use.
redesign is the product of months of work by Associate Editor Megan Poinski, with the able technical assistance in the past month from Richard Peng of Mays & Associates, our web hosts from the start.
Thanks to them and to you for reading us.
Send your comments or concerns to me or Megan. (We’ve had some problems with our e-mail in the changeover this weekend, so if you get something bounced back, e-mail my home account atmailto:lenlazarick@verizon.net)  

*****

Monday, February 16, 2009

MD Senate Republican Caucus Mourning the Examiner



MD Senate Republican Caucus Mourning the Examiner

I especially appreciated Baltimore Examiner reporter Len Lazarick and he and his work will be sorely missed...

The last edition of the Baltimore Examiner was published today.

The Examiner's news coverage and editorial voice provided a much-needed conservative perspective on Maryland political affairs. It is a voice that will be sorely missed.

See our tribute to the Examiner and its State House reporter, Len Lazarick, at our website:
www.mdsenategop.com.

The Incredibly Shrinking State House Press Corps

Maryland Senate Republican Caucus http://www.mdsenategop.com/

February 15, 2009

It is with sadness and regret that we report on the passing of the Baltimore Examiner newspaper from the media scene in Maryland.

The Maryland Senate Republican Caucus offers its best wishes to Len Lazarick, who as of today is a former journalist of the State House press corps. Over the past three years, he has been one of the best in his coverage of political affairs in Maryland.

Unlike much of the media in Annapolis, Len would frequently profile opposition voices to the Administration and the Democrat leadership in the legislature. A Republican legislator might be featured in a Lazarick article, instead of being relegated to paragraph 15 of a 16-paragraph article as in other media outlets.

Len also did not allow himself to be manhandled by the Governor's press corps. When an "internal" Department of Budget and Management memo about looming budget cuts was released as an "exclusive" to the two major dailies in the state, Len questioned in his "Life on the State Circle" column why this document was selectively released and whether it was actually a memo written by the Administration specifically to "spin" the press?

The basement quarters of State House press corps were once a crowded and vibrant place. But, as the newspaper industry has declined over the past decade, cutbacks have affected the number of assignments to Annapolis.

Traditionally, local dailies (such as the Hagerstown Herald Mail, Frederick News Post and Carroll County Times), sent reporters to Annapolis full-time during the legislative session. Now, local reporters infrequently visit Annapolis while legislative reporting is mostly handled through Associated Press wire stories.

The larger metropolitan newspapers (Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, Washington Times) and the specialty press (The Daily Record, The Gazette of Politics and Business) have also trimmed their State House positions.

The end result is a significant loss to Maryland's citizens. A diminished capacity of Annapolis media coverage means less transparency in government and fewer opportunities for investigative reporting.

Moreover, the closing of the Baltimore Examiner greatly reduces the diversity of opinion on state affairs - a diversity that in Maryland is already sorely lacking.


20090215 MD Senate Republican Caucus Mourning the Examiner
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

20071029 Len Lazarick watch

Len Lazarick Baltimore Examiner

October 29, 2007

Voters say 'No new taxes'

6 hrs ago - Their cry was loud and unified: “No new taxes.” A series of demonstrations by taxpayer, conservative and Republican groups around the State House on Monday lead the way for Gov. Martin O'Malley's call for a special session of the General Assembly where he was to give a short pep talk before legislators are to act on a series of taxes hikes.

Spotlight’s on governor tonight

22 hrs ago - It’s showtime for Martin O’Malley. When the governor comes to the podium tonight to address the 188 members of the General Assembly, his soliloquy raises the curtain on the second act of the make-or-break performance of his first term.

O’Malley proposes more to be spent on uninsured

3 days ago - Gov. Martin O’Malley is proposing the state spend as much as $250 million more each year to offer health insurance to 100,000 uninsured people by adding them to the Medicaid rolls and subsidizing very small businesses that begin offering health insurance to workers.

County officials back tax package

3 days ago - Elected county officials from across Maryland came to the State House on Thursday to support the governor’s entire revenue-raising package, including slots machines, but none of them would say whether they would accept slots in their own jurisdictions.

Poll: Support up for slots, but down for O’Malley

4 days ago - Gov. Martin O’Malley’s approval rating has declined among Maryland voters, but those voters overwhelmingly support the governor’s plan to bring slot machines to the state, according to a new statewide poll released Wednesday.

O’Malley starts outreach program

4 days ago - “No Americano extra” is what Gov. Martin O’Malley told a group of Hispanic business people when they taught him the Spanish version of one of his signature lines — “There is no such thing as a spare American.”

O’Malley unveils big budget cuts

5 days ago - Big cuts in aid to counties, libraries, schools, universities, health care, state police and dozens of other programs will be needed if the legislature doesn’t pass tax increases next month, Gov. Martin O’Malley said Tuesday as he unveiled his own version of a “doomsday” budget.

Poll: Support for slots is up, down for O’Malley

6 days ago - Support for slots among Maryland voters is up, but it's down for Gov. Martin O’Malley, according to a new statewide poll. The poll also found overwhelming backing for a referendum on slot machine gambling.

The 3-minute interview: Warren Deschenaux

6 days ago - Warren Deschenaux is the director of the Office of Policy Analysis for the Department of Legislative Service in Annapolis. He and his staff will play a key role in analyzing the governor’s deficit-cutting tax changes.

Plucky O’Malley needs luck of the Irish

7 days ago - In Martin O’Malley’s visit to Dublin this weekend, he was perhaps able to pick up an extra portion of the luck of the Irish. That’s what many legislators think he needs to get what he wants out of the special session he’s ordered next week, a call seen as a risky roll of the dice.

Ehrlich dishes it out to Gilchrest

10 days ago - Karen and Art Oertel used to organize crab feasts for Republican U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest from their family's Harris Crab House and seafood plant on the waterfront at Kent Narrows six miles east of the Bay Bridge. But no more.

State officials say children’s health improving

10 days ago - Maryland children are getting better immunized, suffering fewer suicides, deaths and injuries, and using drugs, alcohol and cigarettes less in the last five to 10 years, Cabinet secretaries told lawmakers this week.

Speaker: Senate must take initiative

10 days ago - When lawmakers return to Annapolis for a special session in 10 days, House Speaker Michael Busch said the onus would be on the Senate to take the initiative in passing Gov. Martin O’Malley’s deficit-busting tax plan.


Orioles Park hits big screen with high-definition replays

11 days ago - High-definition replays will be coming to Orioles Park at Camden Yards next season under a settlement between the baseball team and the Maryland Stadium Authority approved Wednesday by the state Board of Public Works in Annapolis.

Governor turns professor to explain his tax plan

11 days ago - “A C student can get this,” professor Martin O’Malley, freshman governor, assured a class of several dozen political science majors, faculty and university bigwigs as he rolled through a 50-minute lecture on his deficit-cutting tax package.

New version of Green Fund under attack as a hidden tax

12 days ago - It’s not easy trying to improve the Green Fund to clean up the Chesapeake Bay, especially when the governor is already pushing for eight or nine different tax hikes to plug a deficit hole.

Republicans fire back at O’Malley

12 days ago - Republican legislators came out swinging at Gov. Martin O’Malley’s tax plan and the “liberal leadership” of the Maryland Senate and House on Tuesday, throwing digs at O’Malley’s three-day trip to Ireland that begins tonight.

Banks joins race against Gilchrest

12 days ago - Robert Banks, a former Ehrlich administration aide and Baltimore County Orphans Court judge, on Monday became the fourth Republican to challenge U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest in the 1st Congressional District.

O’Malley off to Ireland, again

13 days ago - Gov. Martin O’Malley heads to Ireland again on Wednesday night, on a trip paid for by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

O'Malley calls for Oct. 29 special session

14 days ago - The Maryland General Assembly will be back at the State House for Halloween, and it’s not certain if it will be a trick or treat for constituents.

Gilchrest, Harris are close in battle for fundraising

14 days ago - In the heated Republican primary for the 1st Congressional District seat, U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest holds a narrow edge in his campaign chest over his challenger, State Sen. Andy Harris, R-Harford-Baltimore counties. But since entering the race in May, Harris has raised nearly twice as much as the nine-term incumbent, according to figures released by the campaigns.

Tax cuts or hike coming? It depends

14 days ago - Gov. Martin O’Malley continues to insist that the vast majority of Marylanders will see their taxes cut in the revenue “reforms” he will ask the legislature to embrace in the special session being announced today.

O’Malley promises word on special session soon

17 days ago - Gov. Martin O’Malley said Thursday that “early next week” he’ll have an announcement about calling a special session of the General Assembly to deal with his deficit-reducing package, and that “early next week you’ll see the legislation rolling out” with details on his slot machines proposal.

Disability activists demand officials shut down Rosewood

17 days ago - A dozen disability activists in motorized wheelchairs demanding to meet with Gov. Martin O’Malley and tell him to close the Rosewood Center were turned away from the front gate of the governor’s residence Wednesday night because they didn’t have a march permit from the city of Annapolis.

Harris raises $526,000 against Gilchrest

18 days ago - State Sen. Andy Harris, R-Baltimore-Harford, on Thursday said his campaign to defeat 1st District U.S. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest in the Republican primary has raised $526,000 since it began in May, $352,000 in the past three months.

The 3-minute interview: David Blumberg

‘Simpler’ Greenfund presented in order to stave runoff into Bay

O’Malley invokes ‘Star Trek’ to describe hurdles of tax plan

Official: Parole hearings denied; some blame bad communication

Judge orders O’Malley administration to reinstate fired services official

GOP senators fight ‘nonfactor’ label by standing firm against slots

Judge orders testimony from Ehrlich administration aides

Liberal group attacks chamber study linking tax increases to job losses

Republicans say no to slots

Catonsville hospital overhaul to slash energy costs, saving millions

Democrats raise big bucks to fund state party

GOP: O’Malley plan ‘deceitful’

Md. suing to halt SCHIP veto