State Of Maryland

With an expression of "profound regret," Maryland lawmakers have acknowledged the state's participation in slavery and the decades of racial discrimination that stemmed from it. With no debate, and to a smattering of applause, the House of Delegates voted 130-6 yesterday to approve the resolution. Last month, the Senate passed a similar measure. The passage of both versions follows decades of wrangling over the question, and the Virginia legislature's recent acknowledgement of that state's role in slavery.

Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp appears likely to keep her job, despite the efforts of some legislators who were pushing for a change to bring racial diversity to the Board of Public Works, a key panel on which she sits. House Speaker Michael E. Busch - who holds significant influence over the selection of the treasurer - said yesterday that he believes she should stay. "I think Nancy Kopp has done an outstanding job as treasurer of the state of Maryland," Busch said. "She was an outstanding legislator on the appropriations committee and understands the fiscal structure of the state of Maryland.

Members of the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants are answering readers' tax questions through April 15.How can I get a refund from the state of Maryland for income tax wrongfully withheld for work done here when I am a resident of a tax state that has no reciprocality with Maryland; i.e., there is no state withholding or income tax withheld in my home state? The company is not cooperating and wrongfully withheld state income tax. My state has no income tax. This is a short-term employee.

WASHINGTON - State and federal agencies hope to turn an environmental problem into a solution by combining poultry manure with harbor dredge to make a fertile soil substitute.If the proposal works, it could make a positive out of two very large negatives for the state: Maryland produces as much at 400,000 tons of chicken manure a year and removes 5 million cubic yards of dredge from bay shipping channels.U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers began analyzing dredge samples in December to see if poultry manure can replace the organic matter that, over time, is washed out of the dredged sediment.

Don't squander surplus on reckless spending programsBudget analysts are now projecting that Maryland will experience a $619 million budget surplus for our current fiscal year ("State surplus seen as sizable," Oct. 13).The state also will also have accrued $576 million in its rainy day reserve fund by the end of the fiscal year and expects its first payment of $188 million from the the national tobacco settlement by the end of the year.Potential uses for this revenue will be a top priority when the Maryland General Assembly reconvenes in January.

In its largest-ever single land deal, the state of Maryland will acquire about 58,000 acres of forest and wetlands on the Eastern Shore, as part of a three-state deal to protect it from development.Virginia and Delaware will purchase about 9,000 acres each, bringing the total to 76,000 acres in parcels scattered across the Delmarva Peninsula."Ultimately, this could be our Adirondack State Park, our Jersey Pine Barrens," said John R. Griffin, the former Maryland secretary of Natural Resources, who was involved in part of the negotiations.

The House of Delegates approved Gov. Parris N. Glendening's proposal to give state employees legally guaranteed collective bargaining rights yesterday, an important step toward achieving one of the governor's top legislative priorities.The bill now goes to the Senate.The 103-32 vote came after Howard County Del. Robert L. Flanagan, the House Republican whip, warned that its passage would lead to the demise of the Maryland Classified Employees Association, Maryland's oldest state workers' organization.

The state of Maryland is creating the nation's first center to judge the flood of high-technology equipment that is sweeping law enforcement agencies into a brave new cyberworld.Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend made the announcement yesterday at Camden Yards to top-ranking law enforcement officials from around the state.The lack of coordination among law enforcement groups nationwide has left states and local departments with an awkward mix of incompatible, sometimes expensive, sometimes inefficient communications and computer systems, law enforcement officials say. When computer systems cannot share information, officers in different departments cannot easily compare such things as crime patterns, suspect descriptions and information on illegal weapons.

When Paul S. Sarbanes said last month that he intends to run for re-election, state Democratic Chairman Peter B. Krauser rejoiced, calling the state's senior senator "an icon in Maryland politics."Asked how he would characterize Sarbanes' accomplishments, however, Krauser responded: "Can I get back to you on that? I'm not that familiar with the senator's record."Krauser has company.After more than 28 years in Congress, including 22 in the Senate, Sarbanes remains an enigma to much of a state that has given him one resounding electoral victory after another.

Despite another significant increase in purse money at Delaware Park, Maryland horsemen are not planning a mass exodus to the nearby track, which launches its lengthy meeting today.The Stanton, Del., plant is offering $33 million in purses -- up from $27.5 million last spring -- during its 139-day stand, including 48 stakes races worth $4.5 million.But local trainers generally will pick their spots to run in Delaware, where purses have been pushed ever upward by slots-driven revenue over the last three years.

Caught up in the harsh economy that is taking a stiff toll on public broadcasting across the country, Maryland Public Television laid off 18 employees Monday - about 10 percent of its work force. Two senior managers, including a senior vice president for content, are among those laid off. Calls to MPT were not returned Monday afternoon. "The staff reductions at MPT, while extremely painful, will result in no loss of programming and no on-air talent will be affected," Robert J. Shuman, president of MPT, said in a statement.

Karen Michele Putnam, daughter of Timothy R. and Mary Ruth Putnam of Sykesville, Maryland and Eric Michael Lubitz, son of Shelly K. Burns of Finksburg, Maryland and the late Larry H. Lubitz were married at The Best Western Westminster Catering and Conference Center in Westminster, Maryland on September 20, 2008. The groom is also the stepson of Michael P. Burns of Finksburg, Maryland and the grandson of Martha Kirson of Pikesville, Maryland. The blended ceremony was jointly performed by Rev. Dr. Judy Powell and Cantor Alvin Donald.

Pamela B. Mitchell, a retired businesswoman and recovering alcoholic, died from lung cancer July 3 at Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care. The longtime Towson resident was 65. Pamela Bobbett was born in Baltimore and raised in Northwood. She was a 1961 graduate of Eastern High School and earned a bachelor's degree from Western Maryland College in 1965. She later earned a master's degree in business from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland in 1993. From 1965 to 1980, Mrs. Mitchell was employed as a vocational counselor and later was a training staff development officer for the state of Maryland.

Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. on Monday ruled out running for state comptroller next year, but gave no indication what he would do after his term expires 18 months from now. Smith, a Democrat, cannot seek re-election, and had been widely expected to oppose the incumbent comptroller, Peter Franchot, in the Democratic primary. He acknowledged to The Baltimore Sun in May that he was looking closely at statewide offices for a possible run. He has been traveling the state and building a campaign chest; finance reports show he raised more than $1 million during the four-year election cycle that began in January 2007.

As of last week, it costs $1.50 a month to maintain an EZ-Pass account with the state of Maryland. That's a scandal. Not the fee. That's chump change. What's appalling is that it took the Maryland Transportation Authority so long to impose it. Not until there was a severe revenue shortfall did the authority's board muster the political courage to partially plug a leak that's been costing the state millions of dollars a year. The money could have gone toward repaving a section of the Kennedy Highway or enforcing traffic laws at the Fort McHenry Tunnel or planning the replacement of antiquated bridges.

The state of Maryland this spring announced that one of its public agencies would save up to $15 million a year on its electricity bill as a result of buying cheaper electricity in the competitive market.Gov. Martin O'Malley was rightfully ecstatic, proclaiming that "the state is leveraging its electricity buying power to provide a much needed measure of price stability and protection." Maryland taxpayers should be heartened by the governor's pronouncement. States across the country are facing significant budget challenges, so any opportunity to save taxpayer money and buy cheaper electricity should be welcomed.

Constellation-EDF review essential The Sun's editorial on the proposed Constellation Energy Group-Electricit? de France deal reflects a misunderstanding of the law and the facts ("Separate politics, power," June 14). The Sun chooses to view this legal dispute as a dispute between Gov. Martin O'Malley and Constellation and ignores the fact that other parties are in this case, and they independently came to the same conclusion - that the proposed transaction is subject to regulatory scrutiny under Maryland law. The Office of the People's Counsel, the state of Maryland and the Public Service Commission's technical staff all reviewed the evidence, consulted independent experts and concluded that the proposed Constellation-EDF transaction would result in EDF acquiring the ability to exercise "substantial influence" over Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. If the deal goes through, EDF will have a larger investment in Constellation than all of Constellation's other shareholders put together.

Delaware raised the gambling stakes in the region Thursday when it legalized sports betting and moved toward allowing table games at its casinos, prompting fears among Maryland leaders that revenues from Maryland's slots-only parlors could be jeopardized. With two of four planned parlors less than 20 miles from the Delaware state line, Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller worried that competition from bigger and more diverse casinos in Delaware would bleed revenue from Maryland's nascent slots program.

Pikesville maintenance man dies of gunshot wounds A 37-year-old maintenance man at a Pikesville apartment complex who was shot in the head during an argument three weeks ago died from his injuries Saturday at Sinai Hospital, Baltimore County police said. Murder charges are pending against Kirk Anthony Bell, 23, in the death of Edward Jackson III of the first block of Warren Park Drive. Police were dispatched to a call of a shooting April 20 at the Owings Chase apartment complex in the 4600 block of Old Court Road.

Raising alcohol tax would destroy jobs An essential fact missing from the editorial supporting higher alcohol taxes was the destructive domino effect it would have on the state's hospitality industry, destroying jobs among those who can least afford it - waiters, waitresses, busboys and bartenders ("The enablers in Annapolis," March 19). Simply put, alcohol taxes are hospitality taxes that negatively impact restaurants, hotels, bars, liquor stores and the thousands of women and men they employ.