Maryland News: Traffic, Schools, Crime, Government & More - Washington Post

Rep. John Delaney endorses Doug Duncan for Montgomery County executive

Bill Turque — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:48:00 GMT

With the state legislature adjourned and county budget deliberations all but complete, Montgomery’s 2014 political season is starting to heat up.

Former county executive Doug Duncan, seeking to reclaim the office he held for three terms (1994-2006), held his first major public event Sunday, a picnic fundraiser where he received the endorsement of Rep. John Delaney (D-Md).

Read full article >>

Montgomery budget leaves list of ‘needs’ on table

Bill Turque — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:59:06 GMT

An additional therapist for the child and adolescent mental health clinic: $72,000.

More resources for child custody mediation and supervised visitation: $230,000.

An expanded contract with CASA de Maryland for tenant counseling: $50,000.

Read full article >>

Prince George’s tearing down blighted, foreclosed houses, stepping up code enforcement

Miranda S. Spivack — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:18:00 GMT

As the Prince George’s County Council debates details of the $2.7 billion budget, there is one issue where all appear to agree: The time has come to redo the county’s code enforcement and permitting system.

Read full article >>

Prince George’s Council delays final budget decisions until May 30, chairman says

Miranda S. Spivack — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:54:00 GMT

The Prince George’s County Council is delaying a final vote on the county’s budget for a week.

County Council Chairman Andrea C. Harrison(D-Springdale) said that the council was still trying to sort out funding for several items, including a new, $27 million police department headquarters, and also trying to figure out a way to avoid employee furloughs. County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) had recommended up to five days of furloughs for most of the county’s 6,000 employees to help balance the budget.

Read full article >>

Maryland legislative hearing on prisons moved up to June 6

John Wagner — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:37:28 GMT

Maryland lawmakers have rescheduled a hearing prompted by problems at a Baltimore jail for June 6, two weeks earlier than previously announced.

The meeting of the Legislative Policy Committee, made up of leading House and Senate members, will be the first formal public hearing since last month’s federal indictments of 25 inmates and corrections guards on racketeering and other charges.

Read full article >>

O’Malley: Purple Line, other Washington area projects to benefit from gas tax increase

John Wagner — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:19:20 GMT

As he signed legislation Thursday raising Maryland’s gas tax, Gov. Martin O’Malley identified an initial $1.2 billion in new road and transit projects that he said the new revenue will make possible, including several in the Washington region.

Read full article >>

Barn dance music enlivens lengthy Maryland bill signing ceremony

John Wagner — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:49:25 GMT

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) introduced a new twist at Thursday’s bill-signing ceremony in Annapolis: barn dance music.

For much of the two-hour event, a compact disc by The Barn Owl Band was piped into the governor’s reception room as he and legislative leaders signed more than 250 bills into law.

Read full article >>

Signing of Md. gun control bill to launch new legal battles, fight for public support

Aaron C. Davis — Thu, 16 May 2013 02:08:00 GMT

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley will sign into law one of the nation’s strictest gun-control measures Thursday, a major victory after months of contentious debate during this year’s legislative session.

But the signing of the law, which goes into effect Oct. 1, isn’t the end of the fight. A new battle begins to convince judges and voters that it was the right response to last year’s school shootings in Newtown, Conn.

Read full article >>

O’Malley plans to sign Maryland gun-control, transportation bills Thursday

John Wagner — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:10:19 GMT

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) plans to sign more than 250 bills into law on Thursday, including one of the most sweeping gun-control packages in the country and a plan to raise taxes on gas to yield more money for transportation projects.

Read full article >>

Brown to stand in for O’Malley at Preakness trophy presentation Saturday

John Wagner — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:48:54 GMT

Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D), who announced his campaign for governor last week, should get some national television exposure Saturday: He is scheduled to present the trophy to the winner of the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore.

Read full article >>

Montgomery Council asks Leggett to tighten up on employee leave and overtime rules

Bill Turque — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:13:00 GMT

The Montgomery County Council on Tuesday endorsed a series of recommendations based on a recent report that said lax management and abuse of sick leave policies have cost the county tens of millions in overtime pay.

Read full article >>

Panel gives preliminary approval to new Pr. George’s police HQ

Miranda S. Spivack — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:27:36 GMT

The Prince George’s County Police Department is a step closer to buying a $27 million headquarters after a County Council committee gave preliminary approval to the plan Tuesday.

The council’s public safety committee approved a lease/purchase agreement for properties in Suitland that several years ago had been sought by the school system for its headquarters.

Read full article >>

Md. delegate sentenced to 30 days in jail for drunken boating charge, plans appeal

John Wagner — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:00:00 GMT

Maryland Del. Donald H. Dwyer Jr. was given a 30-day jail sentence Tuesday for a drunken boating charge related to a collision in August that left seven people injured, including a 5-year-old girl who suffered skull fractures.

Read full article >>

Leggett cautions Montgomery council to trim proposed adds to budget

Bill Turque — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:27:00 GMT

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett is asking the County Council to trim its proposed additions to the fiscal 2014 budget, warning that excessive new spending could jeopardize progress in stabilizing the county’s finances.

Read full article >>

Maryland delegate Dwyer will plead guilty to drunken boating charge, lawyer says

John Wagner — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:45:00 GMT

An attorney for Maryland Del. Donald H. Dwyer Jr. said Monday that his client has secured a plea deal with prosecutors that will not result in jail time for a drunken boating charge.

Under the deal, which must be approved by a district court judge, Dwyer will plead guilty Tuesday to operating a boat under the influence of alcohol. Four other charges related to an August collision that injured seven people will be dropped, said Dwyer’s attorney, David Fischer, who appeared with the delegate at a news conference.

Read full article >>

Penn National says Rosecroft casino would include 3,000 slot machines

John Wagner — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:44:15 GMT

A spokeswoman for Penn National Gaming said Monday that the company’s vision for a casino at Rosecroft Raceway includes 3,000 slot machines, six times what was indicated in a summary of bids released by Maryland regulators Friday.

Read full article >>

Prince George’s firefighters poised for large pay hikes

Miranda S. Spivack — Sun, 12 May 2013 21:37:51 GMT

Prince George’s County is poised to give raises of as much as 22 percent to unionized firefighters, who have not received pay increases in at least three years, according to documents and interviews.

The raises could cost the county at least $9 million over two years, depending on the current pay levels of the 768 unionized firefighters. To get a raise, they must receive a positive performance evaluation and be eligible for the increases. The package, which also calls for firefighters to increase their pension contributions, was ratified by union members May 1 and awaits County Council review.

Read full article >>

O’Malley officially endorses Brown for Maryland governor

John Wagner — Sat, 11 May 2013 20:59:02 GMT

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) on Saturday touted Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) as his preferred successor, calling the newly announced gubernatorial candidate an “outstandingly effective” leader.

The event in Baltimore, at which the two shared the stage, was billed as O’Malley’s “official endorsement” of Brown’s 2014 candidacy for governor. O’Malley’s intentions have been clear for some time, but Saturday was the first time O’Malley has spoken out on Brown’s behalf since Brown kicked off his campaign Friday night in Largo.

Read full article >>

More Md. Democratic leaders say they won’t cross picket line at Montgomery fundraiser

Bill Turque — Sat, 11 May 2013 02:15:00 GMT

Under ordinary circumstances, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and members of the County Council, progressive Democrats all, would stay away from an event that forced them to cross a picket line. But there’s nothing ordinary about Saturday night.

Read full article >>

Three companies compete for right to operate Prince George’s casino

John Wagner — Sat, 11 May 2013 02:03:00 GMT

Three companies have put in bids to build a Prince George’s County casino, leading to a high-stakes competition to operate what could be one of the most lucrative gambling venues on the East Coast.

On Friday, the deadline for bids, Penn National Gaming proposed a $700 million Hollywood Casino Resort at Rosecroft Raceway, and the owner of a Pennsylvania casino proposed an $800 million Parx Casino Hotel & Spa nearby in Fort Washington.

Read full article >>

Md. corrections secretary to appear before lawmakers at prison hearing next month

John Wagner — Sat, 11 May 2013 00:51:02 GMT

Maryland corrections secretary Gary D. Maynard is scheduled to appear June 19 before a joint legislative panel looking into problems at a Baltimore jail and in the state’s prison system more broadly, lawmakers said Friday.

Read full article >>

Brown launches bid for Maryland governor

Aaron C. Davis — Sat, 11 May 2013 00:26:00 GMT

Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) launched his campaign for the state’s top elective office on Friday, telling several hundred supporters gathered in Prince George’s County that after more than six years as the state’s No. 2, he knows best how to continue building a better future for the Old Line State.

Read full article >>

More Md. Democratic leaders say they won’t cross picket line at Montgomery fundraiser

Bill Turque — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:49:47 GMT

Read full article >>

Montgomery task force will look for ways to energize county’s night life

Bill Turque — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:35:00 GMT

Montgomery County, pushing forward in its quest for more hipness, has assembled its Nighttime Economy Task Force, which will study ways to energize the bar, music and after-hours dining scenes.

The task force itself is big enough for a pretty good party. County Executive Isiah Leggett named 21 members with backgrounds in business, entertainment, law, urban planning and transportation. There are also four county staff along with four County Council members and two members of Congress serving as ex-officio members. It will be chaired by Heather Dlhopolsky, a land use and zoning attorney for Linowes and Blocher.

Read full article >>

Brown plans runs for Maryland governor

John Wagner — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:15:00 GMT

When he announces his candidacy for governor on Friday, Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown is expected to lay out several priorities, including a stepped-up focus on fighting racial and other disparities in health care, education and employment.

Read full article >>