Maryland Politics

Bonds between lawmakers

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:22:24 -0500

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller railed against so-called “bond bills” this morning saying, “I’d prefer we don’t do them quite frankly” and “In past years when we had tough times we didn’t have the bond bills.”

The bond bills are essentially the state-level version of federal earmarks. The state legislature gets to dole out $15 million to favorite projects. Each chamber allocates $7.5 million.

Miller, a Democrat, blamed the House for initiating the bond bills this year, saying the members of that body are “newer” and “younger” and “they want to be able to deliver for their districts.”

“I think the [state] senators are more comfortable in their skins," Miller said. "They tend to look at the budget from a longer point of view.”

House Speaker Michael E. Busch, a Democrat, had a different take. He stopped by our office and explained that during the first two weeks of the session he considered not having any bond bills at all.

“We had a discussion,” he said. “It was split.” His staff found that roughly 60 bond bills had already been introduced – including requests from both parties.

Then he noticed there was one in from Miller.

“We saw that Miller put on in personally,” Busch said. “We took our lead from the Senate.”

A quick bill search reveals Miller wants $250,000 to renovate a field in Chesapeake Beach and $500,000 for a community center in Prince George’s County.

To be fair, Busch also has a bond bill. He wants $200,000 to repair the William Paca House in Annapolis.

Hoyer: Ernest Morgan Can Meet "Hellacious" Task of Plowing Maryland Snow

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:10:27 -0500

House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer offered praise today for the efforts of Maryland road crews in clearing highways in and around his southern Maryland district. Speaking with reporters at his Capitol office, after meeting with President Barack Obama, Hoyer said that Congress would consider providing federal disaster assistance to the District of Columbia, which isn't a state and thus cannot apply for aid like Maryland can. He defended the decision of his former aide, John Berry, now director of the Office of Personnel Management, to close the federal bureaucracy in the D.C. area, which could draw criticism from taxpayers, in other parts of the country, unhappy about the cost of a shutdown--$100 million a day, and counting. And the congressman also recommended Ernest Morgan, a farmer who lives across from Hoyer's house in Mechanicsville, as a guy who can do the job of clearing snow, which Hoyer called a "hellacious challenge" for local, county and state governments. A transcript of the exchange, after the jump:

Cardin and Co. on Tour--Round up the Usual Suspects

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:36:03 -0500

As promised, here's the identity of the Maryland lawmaker who won't be suffering through the Great Digout of 2010: Ben Cardin. The Democratic senator from Baltimore will soon be winging his way to Europe and the Mediterranean on a nine-day official mission. Cardin chairs an international commission on security and cooperation in Europe, which holds hearings and issues reports about human rights and other issues related to the 1975 Helsinki Accords. The Maryland Democrat is a serious legislator, so we seriously doubt he'll be enjoying himself extra-curricularly on the journey, which includes stops in Spain and Morocco, in addition to Vienna, where the organization has its main office. A total of 18 senators and congressman are members of the group, formally known as the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Informally, it's the Helsinki Commission, named for the site of the Cold War-era meeting in Finland, which the group grew out of in 1976. Seven American commissioners are scheduled to make the trip, including the non-voting delegate from American Samoa, Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, who owes his seat on the plane to the Speaker of the House, Baltimore's own Nancy Pelosi. Cardin's sidekick on the commission, and at the trip's main stop, in Austria, is co-chairman Alcee Hastings, a Florida Democrat better known for his inglorious past. As a federal judge, Hastings was impeached by the House in 1989 and convicted by the Senate for conspiring to extort a $150,000 bribe in a case that he was hearing, lying about the matter under oath and falsifying evidence at his trial. His response to losing his lifetime seat on the federal bench was to run for, and win, a lifetime seat in the House that impeached him. Hastings' lengthy bio on his official website points out that many people still call him "Judge," but for some reason that stuff about getting impeached doesn't get mentioned. Three other members of Congress who apparently have no worries about re-election in a tough election year--a pair of southern Republicans and a California Democrat--will also be in they traveling party. Plus the delegate from American Samoa. Again, we know that Cardin is all business, but just in case he even owns a bathing suit, the weather in Morocco at this time of year runs in the 60s during the day and the 50s at night, so it might be a bit chilly for a swim in an unheated pool. But like we said....no real chance of that happening.

Updated: Your Congress at work (barely)

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:52:22 -0500

Congress has basically checked out for the week. Make that two. There will be no roll-call votes in the House this week, and then, of course, there's the all-important President's Day holiday week (er, "district work period," for those who aren't junketing abroad). The Senate did hold a session, and 85 senators were on hand to vote, including both Marylanders (the scheduled 5 p.m. roll call was moved up an hour because of the weather). Prospects for further Senate action this week, however, appear dim. Over the House, it's all over but the shouting (to the staffer whose job it is to drive the congressman or woman to National Airport for that all-important flight out of town) . Here's the word, from House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland: "As a result of the inclement weather affecting Members’ ability to travel to Washington, DC this week, there will be no votes in the House for the remainder of the week. The change this week means that we will add two days to the schedule as we look to take action on a jobs bill and other critical measures. Therefore, the House will reconvene on Monday, February 22, one day earlier than previously scheduled." Typical of the business that did get conducted (as opposed to the stuff that got postponed, which was almost everything) was Tuesday's morning's hearing of the Senate Budget committee. Sen. Kent Conrad, the chairman, was there. He's from North Dakota, so he's no stranger to tough winter weather. Unlike many senators, he's on the job in D.C. (Updated: Earlier version erroneously confused Conrad with fellow North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan). The Republican side was represented by Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who isn't up for re-election until 2014, so he doesn't have to scurry home every weekend to protect his seat. Among those who didn't manage to show up: snowhardy Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire (a lame duck, so why bother?). Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island were also present. Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, who sits on the panel, was bouncing back and forth between the Environment & Public Works Committee and the Budget Committee hearings today, his staff said. Among the witnesses: Dr. Carmen Reinhart, an economist at the University of Maryland, who didn't have to travel too far to get to Capitol Hill. The topic at hand is the daunting long-term deficit crisis facing the United States. "Truly dire," said Conrad. But never far from everyone's mind was the snow. Alabama's Sessions, interrupting the proceedings to recognize some visiting Alabama students, one of whom was wearing a University of Alabama hat ("That's the number one football team in America," the senator reminded the largely empty hearing room), and pointing out that they were having to deal with the snow during their class visit to Washington. One of the expert witnesses, economist Donald Marron, reached for a timely metaphor in warning the sparse representation of senators about the danger that Washington's failure to stanch the flow of red ink would lead to bigger problems in the future. A "snowballing effect," said the former member of President George W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisers. Over on the other side of the Capitol, Democratic Rep. Donna Edwards of Maryland is in the House. Literally. As the presiding order--conveniently, on a potential snow day, from nearby Prince George's County--she gaveled the House to order shortly after noon. A few minutes of blah blah ensued, and the House recessed until 2 p.m. for more of its pro forma session. No legislative business will be transacted for the next 13 days.

Attn. Snowbound Shut-ins--Major online concert tonite: Bob Dylan, Jennifer Hudson, Natalie Cole and more

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:33:40 -0500

At 8 p.m. tonight, the White House website will live-stream a concert from the East Room, featuring major musical performers and top-drawer celebs. The Black History Month concert, a tribute to America's civil rights movement, was scheduled for later this week but moved up to this evening because of the impending snow storm. Here's the lineup, according to the White House (it wouldn't be a shock if some performers don't appear, since they weren't originally supposed to be in Washington today). They are, in alphabetical order: Yolanda Adams, Joan Baez, Natalie Cole, Bob Dylan, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Smokey Robinson, Seal, the Blind Boys of Alabama, the Howard University Choir, and The Freedom Singers, featuring Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, Rutha Harris, Charles Neblett and Toshi Reagon. Guest speakers include Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Queen Latifah. President Barack Obama is the emcee. The show will feature songs from the Civil Rights Movement and readings from Civil Rights speeches and writings. Those who aren't in-the-know online here at Maryland Politics will be forced to wait until Thursday, when the program is televised at 8:00 p.m. on public broadcasting stations as part of the "In Performance at the White House" series. In addition, NPR will produce a one-hour concert special from the event for broadcast nationwide on NPR Member stations throughout the month of February, beginning February 12th. The special will be available on www.npr.org/music.

Update: Washington Getting Ready to Shut Down again Tuesday

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:56:25 -0500

Federal agencies in the Washington area will be closed for a second straight day Tuesday, the Office of Personnel Management announced Monday evening. Congress was hoping to be back in business Tuesday, despite a curtailed schedule and postponements caused by last weekend’s storm. But even that brave plan was unraveling as predictions of another wintry wallop caused cooler heads to prevail. House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer announced late Monday that the House of Representatives, which was expecting to begin doing real business Tuesday evening, had canceled all roll call votes for the day. "We remain focused on completing our work for the week, but will assess the state of the weather tomorrow (Tuesday) and move forward accordingly," Hoyer said in a statement. With predictions of 10 to 20 inches of snow in the capital region, Congress will be lucky to get anything done this week before.....their next vacation, which is next week! (The all-important Presidents Day break, in which snow-battered politicians will head for some of the sunniest spots on Earth--watch this spot tomorrow for news about where one of Maryland's leading elected officials will be globe-trotting). Even before the snow forecasts grew more dire, senators had pushed their weekly policy lunches, usually held on Tuesday, back to Wednesday. That was just one indication that many senators might not make it back to Washington by noon--if at all. Several Senate committees that had hearings planned have postponed them. At 5 p.m. Tuesday, the Senate is scheduled to hold two roll-call votes, on the confirmation of an appeals court nominee from New Jersey and to end a Republican filibuster over the nomination of Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board. We'll see if that happens. Hoyer was to hold his weekly press conference on Tuesday afternoon, instead of in the morning as previously announced. The House did not meet on Monday and is scheduled to go into session Tuesday afternoon. But with a very light slate of committee hearings and no votes to worry about, it's likely that many congressmen will take a snow day. House activity could be further curtailed because of the death Monday of one of its most powerful members, Democratic Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Annapolis Back In Business

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:22:02 -0500

The state's capital produces enough hot air to melt even the fiercest of snowstorms. The Statehouse is open for business Tuesday, says Alexandra Hughes, a spokeswoman for Speaker Busch. Also, Hughes promises, committees will be meeting.

Our advice: Prepare yourselves for snow-laden metaphors and analogies from the floor. We are betting the lawmakers can’t help themselves.

Your Federal Government (not) At Work

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:31:11 -0500

Annapolis isn't the only place where politics is taking a snow holiday. Washington is almost totally shut down, two days after the snow stopped falling. Downtown streets and sidewalks, in many cases, remain snow-clogged. City snow-clearing crews are nowhere to be seen. Many businesses remain closed. The Metro subway, which kept underground service running during the storm, hasn't seen fit to move above ground yet. The underground service, like this weekend's subway service in Baltimore, is running every 30 minutes, instead of the usual six. Downtown Circulator buses are running, and Metro bus service is operating on emergency routes only. Traffic is extremely sparse. President Barack Obama has hunkered down at the White House, meeting with aides and, this afternoon, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Nothing public is on his schedule, thus far. Vice President Joe Biden, who spent the weekend vacationing with his family in Colorado ski country, has nothing on his schedule other than his trip back to DC today. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs' daily briefing was canceled. Congress, it goes without saying, isn't meeting. But that's hardly unusual. This is a Monday and Congress typically takes Mondays and Fridays off so they can be home campaigning. But even the home events aren't happening for Marylanders. Sen. Ben Cardin, who was scheduled to visit the University of Maryland BioPark, to talk jobs with Baltimore City Community College students, canceled the event. If Tuesday's storm delivers the expected 6-plus inches, it could all but wipe out the rest of the week.

Corked: Popular direct-shipping bill likely a no-go

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:13:03 -0500

An effort to allow Marylanders to have wine shipped to their homes has more support than ever, as evidenced by the 100-plus legislators who co-signed this year's bill. But the proposal must clear the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, and the chairwoman tells The Sun that's not going to happen. Sen. Joan Carter Conway, a Baltimore Democrat, says she is concerned about minors signing for the bottles and the potential problems enforcing state laws and tax collection when an out-of-state vendor is involved. Still, she acknowledges that direct shipping is "conceptually... a good thing." Maryland is one of just a dozen or so states that ban direct-shipping, a Prohibition-era rule. Affectionately known nationally as the "Free the Grapes" campaign, direct shipping is sure to draw a lively crowd when the Senate hearing is scheduled.

Climate change in Annapolis.

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:13:25 -0500

We’ve been regaled with tales of State House fortitude in the face of wintry conditions since being assigned to cover Annapolis. The General Assembly session, lawmakers assured us, has NEVER been cancelled for snow. (~~We have research request into Baltimore Sun library to check this fact.~~)

But Sunday at 11:58 a.m. this message arrived on our BlackBerries from Speaker Busch’s Communications Director Alexandra Hughes:

“The Presiding Officers have decided that the 8pm session of the Maryland General Assembly is cancelled for Monday, February 8, 2010, due to potential icy conditions.”

In Baltimore, however, it’s All Systems Go. The communications director for new Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake sent out an email at 3:21 p.m. Sunday saying “City Government Offices Open for Business Monday.” City work will start at 10 a.m., writes spokesman Ryan O’Doherty.

But it is unclear how many will be at work, SRB says that “nonessential employees” are on “liberal leave.” (We are extremely curious to see who and how many put themselves in this category as the city prepares to lop millions from its budget.)

**UPDATE** Former Sun Editor Howard Libit wrote us Sunday night to say YES YES YES the General Assembly has been closed. It shut down during the last big snowstorm of 2003. The Sun covered it and the story was written (eh hem) by our current editor David Nitkin (sorry boss). Nitikin's fantastic story is posted after the jump.

In other news, The Sun’s Jill Rosen had a great story on the politics of snow.

Senator: Governor's plan to cut unemployment tax appears doomed; other provisions OK

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:57:19 -0500

One of Gov. Martin O'Malley's signature efforts this year -- a plan to cut the hefty unemployment-benefits taxes paid by businesses -- has not gained the support of the business community, despite weeks of talks, a senator said today. "I don't think the tax cut is going to be a reality," said Sen. Thomas M. Middleton, a Democrat who has been in numerous discussions with business groups, the governor's office, labor and other stakeholders. "That's my gut feeling. We're moving away from it." Middleton, who heads the Senate Finance Committee and the Unemployment Insurance Fund Task Force, had given the work group a deadline of today to reach a consensus, though he says talks will continue on early next week. "We're running out of time," he said. The state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation must tell businesses how much in unemployment insurance they need to pay this year in letters that typically go out March 1. The O'Malley plan would increase the number of out-of-work Marylanders eligible for benefits so that the state can apply for nearly $127 million in federal stimulus money to prop up the depleted unemployment-insurance fund that businesses pay into through a tax formula. The governor proposed using $83 million of the federal money to reduce the taxes paid by businesses. Business groups, including the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and Maryland Retailers Association, have said the one-time cash infusion would be quickly outweighed by the permanent costs -- estimated at about $20 million annually -- that come with the required increase in benefits. Middleton said new problems have emerged in discussions. For one, he said, most business groups would prefer to keep all of the federal money in the fund rather than using any of it to cut their taxes, believing that a healthy fund is more important than rate relief. And before they would sign onto the effort to go after federal money, the business groups would need assurance that the cost of the new benefits would be offset by cutting some existing benefits. Middleton said all of the stakeholders are furiously researching what cuts could be made. Moreover, the senator said, businesses dislike the idea of tapping federal stimulus money altogether. To reach a deal, Middleton said, the business groups "need to get over the feeling that stimulus money is bad... Right now they're saying, 'We don't want anything to do with the federal stimulus.'" Aides to the governor remain hopeful, and the discussion continues. "We are actively working with employers to reach a consensus on the remaining issue -- rate relief -- and will do so as long as people are willing to talk," said Joseph Bryce, O'Malley's chief legislative officer. "We’re all pulling in the same direction and trying to help ease the burden on employers." Meanwhile, other parts of the governor's unemployment-insurance proposal, including spreading out the payments and reducing interest for late payments, have gained broad support and appear poised for passage by lawmakers, Middleton and Bryce said.

Obama: If this is Friday, it must be Maryland

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:53:26 -0500

Last Friday, President Barack Obama traveled to Maryland and advertised his desire to help small businesses, about as close to an apple pie issue as exists in American politics today. He donned safety glasses, toured a Highlandtown machine shop and, with those industrial devices as a photogenic backdrop, flogged his plan to give business owners a tax break for hiring new workers. This Friday, Obama is traveling . . . to Maryland. He plans to visit . . . a small business. The purpose of the trip is to advertise . . . . his desire to help small businesses. Hey, it's one of the secrets to success in politics: find a message, stick to it, and repeat it, over and over, and hope that it'll sink in. 2010 is an election year, after all. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that Obama, on this week's Maryland stop, will "talk about some of the issues that we've talked about relating to small business -- tax cuts, increased lending, getting our economy moving again." The venue this time will be closer to the White House: the Maryland suburbs of Washington--specifically, Lanham in Prince George's County, which straddles the D.C. beltway. As you recall, the main objective of Obama's Baltimore trip was to meet with House Republicans, who were holding a retreat at the Inner Harbor. The small-business-jobs-promotion stop was an add-on. Still, it's Friday. And Obama is visiting Maryland. Again. Perhaps it's the state's reward for Virginia's recent decision to replace its Democratic governor, a close Obama ally, with a Republican. And Gov. Martin O'Malley, whom Obama seems to like, may have a race on his hands, so anything the president does that might rub off on a key Democratic candidate probably doesn't hurt. The latest Obama jobs event, like the one in Baltimore, is not open to the public. It is scheduled for just after noon, weather permitting. Same routine: a tour of the business, followed by a short speech. A wild card is the near-panic brought on by the prospect of heavy snow. It will be interesting to see if Obama's motorcade plays havoc with the thousands of folks in the Washington area trying for an early escape from work as the snowflakes start to fall. Before Obama gets to Lanham, he is scheduled to travel to the Northern Virginia suburbs, for a memorial service honoring CIA employees killed in a recent terrorist attack on a CIA station in Afghanistan. After his Maryland stop, Obama is due back at the White House for another presidential ceremony -- in honor of the 2009 Little League World Champions from Chula Vista, California. All in a snowy day's work. See you next Friday.

Jockey Club says it can stop Arundel Mills casino

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:22:30 -0500

A coalition that includes the Maryland Jockey Club says it has submitted more than enough signatures to send a recent county zoning decision allowing a slot-machine emporium at Arundel Mills Mall to referendum -- meaning that voters might be able to reject it. The Jockey Club, which partnered with resident activist groups to collect the necessary 18,790 signatures, says it has nearly 24,000. Tomorrow is the due date for at least half the signatures. Those signatures must be verified by the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections before the zoning measure can be placed on the November ballot. "Without question, there is overwhelming opposition by Anne Arundel County citizens to placing a casino at Arundel Mills Mall," Rob Annicelli, President of the citizens group Stop Slots at Arundel Mills, said in a Jockey Club news release. "The mall is not the right location for a slots casino and is not in the best interests of the citizens of Anne Arundel County. I would like to thank the volunteers and ask them to continue to collect signatures until the Board of Elections certifies the petition question." The Jockey Club has been active in trying to stop a 4,750-machine facility planned by Baltimore-based Cordish Cos. Along with the bankrupt Magna Entertainment, the club bid on the sole Anne Arundel license, but the application was tossed from the competition because they failed to submit all of the necessary fees. Horse racing officials have warned putting a casino at the mall would spell financial ruin for Laurel Park race track, which they say needs slot machines to stay viable. Presenting the track as marketable is of critical importance: It is up for sale. The auction has been delayed several times, and it's unclear this afternoon what further effect the petition could have. David Cordish has already started the permitting process for building on a parking lot near the Arundel Mills food court. He has said that he expects the signature drive to fail. Developing story. See Nicole Fuller's coverage in tomorrow's Baltimore Sun for more details.

Lawmakers turn down raises for themselves and gov

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:59:31 -0500

This comes as no surprise, but lawmakers today officially rejected salary increases. A House of Delegates committee unanimously voted down the recommendations of two independent commissions that called for moderate pay raises in about three years. Most of the state lawmakers make $43,500 yearly; the House speaker and Senate president earn $56,500 each. The governor’s salary is $150,000, and the lieutenant governor’s is $125,000. The commissions meet only once every four years, meaning that the salaries of those elected officials are to remain the same until 2015. That will make for eight years without raises. General Assembly Commission Chairman Sean W. Glynn said the recommendation for small pay increases for lawmakers reflected a desire to be “sensitive” by balancing current issues, such as pay freezes for state workers, with the infrequent salary reviews. However, Gov. Martin O’Malley and the two legislative leaders quickly declared they weren’t interested in pay raises.

MD Dem Party claim: Ehrlich violated FCC rules

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:59:52 -0500

Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. -- who may rematch Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley this fall -- violated the "payola rules" during a segment last year on WBFF-Fox 45, the Maryland Democratic Party says in a complaint delivered today to the Federal Communications Commission. Ehrlich, a regular on the station's "Political Pulse" show, discussed Baltimore-based Cordish's bid for the Anne Arundel County slot-machine facility license in an appearance April 3. But he did not disclose that his firm, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, had been hired by Cordish to build support for the company's license, the Democrats say. At the time, Magna was battling to stay in the game. The Canadian company had also applied for the license, but failed to submit all of the required fees. The license was awarded in December to Cordish. In the letter to the FCC, the Democrats quote the former governor as saying on the Fox 45 show: "We have one applicant, Cordish obviously, that followed the law, that dotted their i's, crossed their t's, and Magna did not, which is why they are now the lone applicant in Anne Arundel County." Ehrlich, the Democrats say, "was obligated to inform the station of the fact that he was being paid to promote the position of the Cordish Company and ... the station was obligated to disclose that fact to its viewers." Since leaving Annapolis in 2007, Ehrlich -- a longtime slots proponent -- and several of his associates, including former communications director Paul Schurick, have been employed in Baltimore by Womble. Jon Cordish told The Baltimore Sun in March that Schurick "and his Womble communications team" had been hired to help with community relations for the Arundel site, though Cordish noted that Ehrlich himself had not been hired. Ehrlich spokesman Henry Fawell, also now at Womble, says the Democrats' claim "does not deserve the dignity of a response." He said the party frequently dispatches letters to Ehrlich and "anyone who will listen" pointing out what they see as wrongdoings. "The Democratic Party is paid to feign outrage and to try to invent boogeymen," Fawell said, citing the FCC letter as an example of that. "The problem is, they're not very good at it. I'd encourage them to keep their training wheels on."