Iannucci

Allstate Insurance Co. will add 156 positions to the 469 jobs it already has in its Maryland claims operations, part of a consolidation that includes the shutdown of two locations in Northern Virginia, Maryland economic development officials announced yesterday. Allstate, the nation's largest publicly held insurance company, will close eight of its current facilities in the region - the two in Virginia, plus six in Maryland. Those offices will be consolidated into three new offices: one each in Baltimore, Howard and Montgomery counties, said David S. Iannucci, secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.

Gov. Parris N. Glendening has established a panel of high-level administration officials to coordinate the state's effort to retain the General Motors Corp. van assembly plant in Baltimore."It's a very powerful brain trust," David Iannucci, the governor's deputy chief of staff and the man tapped to head the group, said yesterday."It's an orchestrated effort. We are trying to put ourselves in position to understand how GM makes decisions on the future of plants. We want to understand that so that we can create a strong case for the Baltimore plant's continued operation."

Gov. William Donald Schaefer's legislative package has run into the House Judiciary Committee.Under the new leadership of Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr., the committee has killed three of the governor's bills involving underage drinking, child support and the court system. And it weakened a fourth bill targeted at carjacking.Mr. Schaefer said yesterday he was "very, very surprised" by the committee's decision to kill the three bills Friday "without even suggesting that maybe they could amend the bills and without talking to the governor."

Bookham Technology PLC, a British maker of telecommunications components, may sign a deal within the next few days to put its North American headquarters in Howard County. The deal would give yet another publicly traded high-tech firm a strong presence in an area that already is home to fiber-optics equipment maker Ciena Corp. (Linthicum) and its competitor, Corvis Corp. (Columbia). Both are potential customers for Bookham, which makes the optical components that control the light signals used in fiber-optic networks.

After notching some major victories in the corporate-recruiting race in recent years, Maryland's top economic development agency is now increasing its attention on keeping companies here. The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development has identified 150 companies that are considered key to the state's health. The companies differ by location, size and industry, but all have one thing in common: Over the next several months, each one will get a personal visit from a representative of the state agency.

There's a big launch event tonight in Washington for the Baltimore-made HBO comedy "VEEP," and I do not want to spoil anyone's fun. So, I am going to be purposefully light on details in talking about the three episodes of this brilliant and biting satire that stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer, a former senator struggling to find her footing as vice president of the United States. I will say this, if you are one of the Washington political workers who have seen Armando Iannucci's "In the Loop"  and laughed yourself silly, you are going to be in heaven at tonight's screening.

"VEEP," the HBO political satire starring Julia-Louis-Dreyfus, started production Monday on location in the Baltimore area, Gov. Martin O'Malley and the cable channel said. The Maryland Film Office estimates that the first season of the series will result in 2,000 jobs for crew members and actors and $25 million in economic impact for the state. The estimate is based on HBO doing five weeks of prep and eight weeks of filming here on the seven episodes yet to be made for season one. The producers will also be purchasing and renting goods or services from hundreds of Maryland businesses, according to the film office.

"Deep" and "sitcom" are not words often used in the same sentence. But a visit to the "VEEP" soundstage in Columbia gave a glimpse of the larger cultural power of this savvy satire from HBO, returning for its second season Sunday night. I also came away dazzled by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who last year won an Emmy as best comedic actress for her portrayal of Vice President Selina Meyer. "VEEP" drills as far down into the state of the national psyche as any TV comedy has in the past 30 years.

As Maryland contemplates passing one of the nation's strictest gun laws, at least seven other states have courted its gun manufacturers, offering tax incentives and open arms elsewhere. The governor of Texas, West Virginia's House speaker and an Illinois congressman have written to Beretta USA officials, inviting a move and promising a better business climate if the 400-year-old Italian company chooses to abandon its U.S. headquarters on the Potomac. Another arms manufacturer and defense contractor on the Eastern Shore, LWRC International, received offers, some including tax incentives, from elected or government officials in Nebraska, Mississippi, North Dakota, Nevada, Texas and West Virginia, a company executive said.

House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr. and the governor's economic development chief urged the state's $33 billion pension system yesterday to consider investing $150 million in technology parks near college campuses and federal laboratories. Taylor and David Iannucci, secretary of business and economic development, told the Maryland Pension Board's investment committee that such developments are in high demand and probably would make money. Iannucci said high-technology businesses in Maryland are scrambling to find office and laboratory space, especially in sites near research institutions.