Petition

The Western Maryland Republican leading the effort to repeal the state's new Congressional map says he believes the signatures they collected will withstand Board of Elections. "This was a very thorough validation process," said Del. Neil Parrott, R-Washington, speaking at an Annapolis news conference. To make his point, the delegate held up a passel of signed petitions that he opted not to submit due to errors. Parrott and other Republicans have so far turned in 65,722 signatures in two batches - about 10,000 more than needed to put the question to voters on the November ballot.

Baltimore police made an emergency petition Thursday to the city's liquor board asking it to immediately suspend the alcohol license of the Velvet Rope nightclub after authorities said hundreds of patrons holding tickets were locked out of an oversold show and nearly rioted on a downtown street. Police said it took 50 officers, including several from the tactical unit and assistance from a police helicopter, to control the crowd that showed up late Wednesday night to hear Southern rapper Yo Gotti.

Critics of Columbia's downtown redevelopment plan are facing a 4:30 p.m. Friday deadline for submitting at least 2,500 valid signatures as a first step toward putting the zoning for the project on the November ballot, and they are not sure if they'll succeed. "We'll certainly have 2,500. The question is whether we'll have enough to survive all the rejections," said Russell Swatek, spokesman for the group called Taxpayers Against Giveaways. Swatek would not say exactly how many signatures the group had on Tuesday.

The petition drive to block some zoning changes for the 30-year plan to redevelop central Columbia appears doomed, based on a preliminary review of signatures by the Howard County Board of Elections. After two days of counting, the board posted numbers on its Web site late Wednesday that showed the drive has a mathematical chance to pass its first hurdle but virtually no practical chance. Critics of the residential portion of the plan that would allow up to 5,500 new residences in town center need to have collected 2,501 valid signatures to pass the first requirement.

Maryland's second-highest court has thrown out an attempt by residents to revive a failed petition drive challenging Howard County's plan for redevelopment of downtown Columbia. The Court of Special Appeals turned down Thursday a challenge by Russell Swatek, who with a group called Taxpayers Against Giveaways organized a petition against a zoning amendment approved by the County Council in 2010. The group had sought to bring the measure before voters as a referendum. The county's Board of Elections turned down the petition, saying the group didn't collect enough valid signatures.

In Maryland, residents are entitled to view the names of the people who sign petitions challenging state and local laws, but the matter of when they become public record depends on where you are. In the contentious drive for a Baltimore County referendum that would challenge zoning changes, developers and community activists who oppose the vote asked the local elections board for copies of the petitions that are going around the county. The opponents want to begin contacting people who signed the petitions because they allege that petition circulators misled citizens, and filed a Public Information Act request for the documents.

One of the groups organizing a petition drive with the ultimate aim of preventing slots at an Anne Arundel County mall is paying a private firm to help gather the 19,000 signatures required for a ballot referendum. The Maryland Jockey Club recently hired FieldWorks, a Washington-based group, to organize its effort for a referendum on the casino site, said Tom Chuckas, president of the Jockey Club, which operates Laurel Park racetrack. Chuckas declined to say how much his group is paying FieldWorks, adding that the amount is still being determined.

Baltimore County's chief attorney is urging the local board of elections to reject petitions gathered last year in a controversial referendum drive that, if successful, could let voters overturn many of the County Council's zoning decisions. In a letter dated Thursday, County Attorney Mike Field told elections board Director Katie Brown that the petition sponsors did not give all the necessary information to voters when gathering signatures. Brown's office is weighing whether to approve the petitions, and place the referendum on the 2014 ballot.

Men and women armed with clipboards and pens have been common sights at grocery stores, libraries, farmers' markets and shopping centers in Baltimore County, seeking signatures on petitions to overturn zoning decisions through a voter referendum. But many were not passionate local activists - they were paid by petition companies based in other states, hired by firms with ties to developers with interests in the zoning decisions. Some were accused by residents of lying to gain a petition signature.