NEWS
February 16, 2010
State Sen. Andrew P. Harris has drafted a pair of amendments that make changes to lawmaker pension plans and planned to offer them Monday night. The first would make state lawmakers who are convicted of crimes related to their office ineligible for state pension benefits. Harris, a Republican representing Baltimore and Harford counties, pointed to voter outrage that former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon will collect her $83,000 pension despite a jury conviction on a theft charge as a reason for his legislation.
NEWS
By Julie Bykowicz | julie.bykowicz@baltsun.com | February 5, 2010
Neither the governor, lieutenant governor nor any of the state's 188 lawmakers will see a pay raise anytime soon. A House of Delegates committee unanimously rejected Thursday the recommendations of a pair of independent commissions that called for moderate pay raises in about three years. Most 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 once every four years, meaning that the salaries of those elected officials are to remain the same until 2015.
NEWS
May 16, 2012
Maryland's state senators and delegates have their work cut out for them if they are to stop Gov. Martin O'Malley, Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch and their henchmen from raising taxes to pay for increased state spending ("Protest targets planned tax rise," May 14). As Del. Herb McMillan reminded voters in a recent letter to The Sun, the budget they are proposing would increase total state spending from $34.7 billion to $35.3 billion — a $600 million (or 2 percent)
NEWS
February 27, 2012
As a professional in the Maryland home building business, I urge members of the Maryland General Assembly to oppose Gov.Martin O'Malley's proposal to limit new residential subdivisions served by septic systems (SB 236/ HB 445 - The Governor's Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act). If approved, the bill would have negative effects on our industry and would kill jobs. It takes planning authority away from local governments by requiring counties to add "growth tiers" into their comprehensive plans by the end of this year or else many of their septic subdivisions will be denied.
ENTERTAINMENT
By Richard Gorelick and The Baltimore Sun | February 27, 2012
While diners in Washington, D.C. and Virginia are free to bring their own bottle of wine into a licensed restaurant, the practice, known as "corkage," is prohibited in Maryland. But changes could be on the way. New legislation to allow corkage is scheduled for its first hearing before the Economics Matters Committee in the state House of Delegates Monday, and an identical bill was heard in a state Senate committee last week. The legislation's outlook is much more promising than last year, when proposed corkage bills sank in committees.
NEWS
February 22, 2011
When I saw the article on the front page of your newspaper about Negro Mountain ( "Controversy over 'Negro Mountain' reveals urban-rural divide," Feb. 21), I thought it was a joke! Are you kidding me? Enough is enough! You can't change history, only learn from it. And hopefully you don't let the bad things repeat themselves. We need to stop using the race card. I can't believe that anyone can find the name offensive especially when you know the meaning behind it! What an honor!