They banned facebook a few days after news stories ran about GOP lawmakers using facebook to talk to constituents (Dems use it too). Pretty obvious why they banned it.

Nothing else is filtered on the state's search engines...not porn (how do they explain that), not personal emails, nada.

Late last night (Thursday) I was watching the GA on MPT. They were considering a bill to increase penalties for non-custodial parents kidnapping their children that passed out of committee unanimously in 2008 but died in the Senate.

A mom gave a detailed account of how her non-custodial, former husband closed out his bank accounts and cancelled his credit cards before picking up their son on the first day of first grade, and keeping the child hidden for twenty-eight days.

At the conclusion of the testimony, Chairman Valerio removed the pencil that had been dangling from his mouth like a cigarette and asked the witness, "Did the taking of the child have any impact on his schooling? What time of year did this occur? Was it during the summer?"

He was followed by Delegate Simmons who repeatedly said he had not read the bill and remembered little of it from last year. He consumed thirty minutes with his questioning of the witness, repeatedly asking her to point out in the bill where certain provisions were located.

Lawmakers actually paying attention to anything not directly related to their re-election is as unlikely as their serving the public.

At the conclusion of testimony on each bill, the chairman worried about whether there were other delegates waiting to testify. Citizens apparently must line up behind the chosen, the elected.

Bruce, I was in the room at the House Judiciary Committee hearing you described and want to explain something you saw. At the conclusion of testimony on each bill Chmn. Vallario called for delegates to testify. He did this because delegates who sponsor bills that are on the calendar for each hearing must introduce their bills. Citizens and stakeholder representatives (if any are present) can then testify. Chmn. Vallario was simply asking whether the next bill sponsor was in the hearing room and ready to go so they could call the next bill for hearing.

My research documents reports of the Koobface worm infecting (or attempting to infect) workplace-related computers by way of Facebook. Employers/organizations thus have security as a reason to block social network sites. --Ben

Just a comment about how politicians can use Facebook for the greater good. In Madisonville, KY, the mayor used Facebook to keep people informed about what was happening in the town after the horrific ice storm week before last. As most of the country knows, hundreds of thousands of people lost power, heat, phones, etc. In Madisonville, in the western part of the state, many people evacuated their homes.... Through Facebook, the mayor (Will Cox) was able to give people a 'play by play' on when substations were coming back on, when help was on the way, shetlers were open, etc. He didn't have power in his house, so he used his iphone. Hundreds of people were able to keep up with what was going on at their homes and many more who had relatives in the city were able to keep up with what was happening. Cox kept his page secure so only those people who legitimately identified themselves could get the news.... Just an interesting counterpoint to all the stuff happening in Maryland. This local leader used Facebook in a very powerful, positive way in the face of a crisis.