County Democrat

A group of senators has added a twist to Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposal to take guns from the subjects of protective orders, voting to make it easier for domestic violence victims to get guns of their own. By a 6-5 decision, the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee amended a bill last week that would require a judge to confiscate firearms when granting a final protective order. They changed the legislation to include a provision that the judge help speed a petitioner's application for a permit to carry a weapon.

More than two years after bitterly partisan accusations that Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. fired state workers for political reasons, the General Assembly might consider legislation to protect hundreds of midlevel employees who can still be terminated at any time. That was one recommendation contained in a report by legislative analysts, who were directed under a 2007 law to review the state's personnel system and explore the possibility of bringing some management positions under the merit system.

Even a $3.7 billion federal lifesaver isn't enough to solve all of Maryland's budget quandaries. While the state is now flush with federal dollars for education, Medicaid and infrastructure projects, other state functions, among them the prison system, mental health programs and juvenile justice, are facing significant cutbacks. In some cases, lawmakers and advocates have questioned how agencies will be able to function within constrained budgets. Meanwhile, the economy continues to deteriorate and state officials are bracing for more bad news later this month when the latest estimates of tax revenues are due. Analysts have warned that annual collections have fallen as much as $500 million below expectations for the current budget year and next.

A bill prohibiting assisted suicide in Maryland cleared an important hurdle last night as a House committee voted to approve the ban.The 13-8 vote by the House Judiciary Committee sends the legislation to the House floor. A different version of the legislation passed the Senate, 28-19, on March 3.The Judiciary Committee's vote is significant because the panel had been the chief roadblock to such legislation in the past. Last year, an assisted-suicide bill passed the Senate only to die in the House committee.

One of the state's most powerful Democrats, Baltimore County Executive C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger, has a $529,000 campaign fund and a reputation as a power broker playing at the top of his game.But as the prosecutor-turned-politician prepares for a fund-raiser at Martin's West tonight, a frequently asked question is whether he can broaden his appeal enough to challenge Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in the Democratic primary for governor in 2002."I haven't heard or seen anyone who thinks that there's anyone out there that can beat Townsend right now," said Del. James F. Ports Jr., an Essex Republican.

Fear not, chatty drivers. You can keep talking on your cellular phones.The House Commerce and Government Matters Committee killed a bill yesterday that would have banned drivers in Maryland from using their phones while driving.The measure drew support from only two of the committee's 23 members -- Del. John S. Arnick, the Baltimore County Democrat who sponsored the bill, and Del. Adrienne A. Mandel, a Montgomery County Democrat.Arnick said he proposed the bill because of the dangers of distraction and of having one hand busy with a phone rather than the steering wheel.

In December, the registering of homebuilders and home inspectors was expected to become a reality as the General Assembly prepared for its 1999 session. Instead, the roof collapsed on bills targeting those two key consumer concerns in the real estate industry."The good news is that we will have this summer to join with the committee members, the authors of the original bill to draft a new one that we can agree on and get through next year's session," said Martin P. Azola, president of the Home Builders Association of Maryland.

Proponents of tougher drunken-driving laws criticized a House panel yesterday for again killing legislation that would have toughened standards for driving while intoxicated in Maryland, but vowed to continue their fight."

In the center of a House of Delegates committee room, beneath the Colonial-style candelabra, stood a prop yesterday that drew a fascinated crowd of spectators:A purple Harley-Davidson."

A Prince George's County Democrat assumed the chairmanship of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus last night, succeeding former Sen. Larry Young of Baltimore.Del. Carolyn J. B. Howard, who had been vice chairman, was selected to serve the remainder of Young's term, which expires June 30.Young was expelled from the Senate on Jan. 16 for apparent violations of state ethics laws.Howard has been in the House of Delegates since 1988.Sen. Nathaniel J. McFadden, a Baltimore Democrat, will serve as vice chairman, Howard said.

Sen. John C. Astle wore banana-colored slacks to a recent voting session, and lobbyist David Carroll has worked the State House hall in Nantucket Red trousers. But it was the Maryland House of Delegates and the Seersucker Six who won the premature preppiness award on the last day of the 2009 session. Dels. John A. "Johnny O" Olszewski Jr., Craig L. Rice, Shawn Z. Tarrant, Jay Walker, Nathaniel T. Oaks and State Trooper Stanley Slide all showed up to represent their constituents in seersucker suits, braving the mockery of their colleagues and the raised eyebrows of fashion scolds who don't abide thin, dimpled, striped cotton before Memorial Day. "These people have no sense of class," said Del. Justin D. Ross, though his mock scorn might have been sour grapes at not being invited into the Boys of Summer clique.

Maryland consumers who buy new cars will receive state and federal tax breaks, lawmakers decided Saturday - a reversal from their position a day earlier. With just one day left of the General Assembly session, the reinstated car benefit was part of the state's nearly $14 million budget given final approval Saturday evening by the House of Delegates. The Senate will take up the budget on Monday, the last day of the session. Meanwhile, the Senate signed off on an emergency bill giving the state the eminent domain authority to keep the Preakness and other horse racing assets in Maryland as their Canadian owner prepares to liquidate in a bankruptcy proceeding.

A day after the Maryland Senate gave a hearty preliminary approval to expanding the use of speed cameras in the state, the controversial measure failed by a single vote Wednesday night - a turn of events that shocked proponents and opponents alike. Gov. Martin O'Malley backs speed cameras, and his aides say he will work to persuade some senators to change their minds as the House of Delegates nears approval of similar legislation. "The governor is disappointed, as speed cameras represent a significant tool for law enforcement to improve safety on Maryland's roads and in our neighborhoods" said Shaun Adamec, an O'Malley spokesman.

GOP cancels support for driver's permit bill Republican lawmakers rescinded their support Friday of a proposal that would require Marylanders to show proof of U.S. residency when obtaining a new driver's license. They objected to a provision added late Thursday that would permit people already licensed to renew without documenting their legal status. Those licenses would be marked "not federally compliant" and would not be accepted at airports. Del. Ron George, an Anne Arundel County Republican who has sponsored "lawful presence" bills for years, said the amendment would create a confusing "two-tier" system.

A group of senators has added a twist to Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposal to take guns from the subjects of protective orders, voting to make it easier for domestic violence victims to get guns of their own. By a 6-5 decision, the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee amended a bill last week that would require a judge to confiscate firearms when granting a final protective order. They changed the legislation to include a provision that the judge help speed a petitioner's application for a permit to carry a weapon.

Even a $3.7 billion federal lifesaver isn't enough to solve all of Maryland's budget quandaries. While the state is now flush with federal dollars for education, Medicaid and infrastructure projects, other state functions, among them the prison system, mental health programs and juvenile justice, are facing significant cutbacks. In some cases, lawmakers and advocates have questioned how agencies will be able to function within constrained budgets. Meanwhile, the economy continues to deteriorate and state officials are bracing for more bad news later this month when the latest estimates of tax revenues are due. Analysts have warned that annual collections have fallen as much as $500 million below expectations for the current budget year and next.

More than two years after bitterly partisan accusations that Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. fired state workers for political reasons, the General Assembly might consider legislation to protect hundreds of midlevel employees who can still be terminated at any time. That was one recommendation contained in a report by legislative analysts, who were directed under a 2007 law to review the state's personnel system and explore the possibility of bringing some management positions under the merit system.

WASHINGTON - In the days since the Bush administration announced a $700 billion rescue plan for the nation's troubled financial markets, Rep. Donna Edwards has heard from hundreds of constituents. Not a single one of them was in favor of the proposal, the Prince George's County Democrat said yesterday: "Members on both sides of the aisle are hearing very similarly from their constituents. And I think it begs the question of how quickly we need to proceed. I think it's much more important to get it right than to get it done fast."

After coming closer to becoming law than it has in a decade, a bill that would have banned the use of hand-held cell phones while driving died yesterday in a House of Delegates committee. National momentum has been building for such bans, which traffic safety advocates say prevent accidents and save lives, and this month the legislation passed in the Maryland Senate for the first time. But it was defeated by a 12-9 vote in the House Environmental Matters Committee, which has killed similar bills in recent years.

Amid a criminal investigation into its contracting practices, Morgan State University's control over its construction projects is shaping up to be one of the major debates in the final two weeks of the General Assembly session. A House of Delegates subcommittee is poised to rein in the school, but key senators say they are reluctant to act so quickly. At a hearing scheduled for today, the House panel that oversees Morgan State's budget is likely to recommend limiting the school's hard-won autonomy over campus projects, said Del. Adrienne A. Jones, a Baltimore County Democrat.