NEWS
By Michael Dresser, Baltimore Sun | May 3, 2013
General Assembly leaders say a joint committee of top legislators will hear from corrections officials about alleged corruption at the Baltimore City Detention Center. The briefing, to be held in June, replaces a House Judiciary Committee hearing that had been scheduled for next week. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch announced the joint public briefing of the Legislative Policy Committee by top corrections officials in June. Alexandra Hughes, a spokeswoman for the speaker, said the exact date of the briefing is expected to be announced next week.
NEWS
April 21, 2013
Regarding your article about the $5,600 Maryland spent on security for Gov. Martin O'Malley's visit to the Super Bowl , why couldn't Mr. O'Malley have stayed at the governor's mansion with his two tax buddies, House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, and watched the game there? Staying home would have saved Maryland taxpayers a lot of money. Messrs. O'Malley, Busch and Miller have passed so many new taxes on Marylanders that where we live is now known as "The State that Taxes Anything that Moves.
NEWS
By Carrie Wells, The Baltimore Sun | April 10, 2013
Maryland will help sponsor eight festivals this year commemorating the War of 1812, an effort officials hope will boost tourism and economic development. The state would put up $2.1 million in matching grants to various non-profits for 23 War of 1812 projects, Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. and Department of Business and Economic Development Secretary Dominick Murray announced Wednesday. About $400,000 will help pay for the festivals, which run from late April through September and most of which are in rural areas, except for one in September, called "Star-Spangled Banner Weekend" in Baltimore.
NEWS
By Michael Dresser, The Baltimore Sun | April 6, 2013
The House of Delegates passed a bill Saturday that would give the Prince George's County executive an unprecedented responsibility for the county's troubled school system. The legislation, approved after the House agreed to the Senate's rewrite of the original bill, now goes to Gov. Martin O'Malley. The bill, sought by County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, would let Baker choose the school system's next chief executive officer, as the superintendent is called. The county executive would also name the chair and vice chair of an expanded school board made up of both elected and appointed members. Currently the nine non-student members are all elected. Opponents warned the partial takeover would set a precedent that could be followed by other county governments. But Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, who represents part of the county, and the county House and Senate delegations supported Baker.
NEWS
Baltimore Sun staff | April 4, 2013
The state Senate approved a bill Thursday night authorizing a partial takeover of the Prince George's County school system by the county executive. The legislation, approved 39 to 7, goes now to the House of Delegates. The General Assembly session ends Monday. The bill, sought by County Executive Rushern Baker, would let Baker choose the school system's next chief executive officer, as the superintendent is called. Baker also would choose the chair and vice chair of an expanded school board.
NEWS
By Michael Dresser | March 29, 2013
The Maryland Senate will take up a proposed increase in the state's gas tax Friday, and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller is expected to push it to a final vote before Sunday. According to Senate staff, Miller will try to bring the transportation revenue bill through preliminary approval and a final vote in a single day. But Miller told senators they might have to work Saturday of Easter weekend -- a not-so-subtle incentive to forestall delay. The gas tax bill was appoved Thursday by the Budget & Taxation Committee.