Friday, May 17, 2013
High-profile Maryland bills on firearms and funding state transportation projects became law.
Two of the most controversial bills Maryland state lawmakers grappled with this session became law Thursday. Gov. Martin O'Malley, flanked by Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, House Speaker Michael Busch and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, signed 268 bills into law. Among them were the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013 which increases the state's gas tax, and the Firearm Safety Act of 2013, a restrictive gun control bill. The gun control measure was an important part of O’Malley’s legislative priorities, but was widely contested by Republicans in the General Assembly. Under the law, more than 40 types of guns are banned in Maryland including most semi-automatic rifles. In addition, digital fingerprints of gun owners are …
Thursday, April 4, 2013
The 28-19 vote helps Gov. Martin O'Malley's top legislative priority avoid a conference committee some believed would kill the legislation.
Maryland senators voted Thursday night to approve an amended gun control bill rather than send the legislation to conference committee. Senators approved the bill by a vote of 28-19 just one day after the House debated the bill for 10 hours over two-days and added 17 amendments to a bill previously approved by the Senate. The bill was a major component of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s legislative priorities for the 90-day legislative session. “The fact is, the Firearm Safety Act of 2013 provides no safety,” said Sen. EJ Pipkin, Senate Minority Leader. The concurrence means that the bill goes to Gov. Martin O’Malley for his signature rather than to a conference committee with just four days left in the session. Sen. Brian Frosh, a Montgomery …
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
The amended bill, passed by a 78-61 vote, will go back to the Senate and possibly a conference committee.
The Maryland House of Delegates Wednesday passed gun control legislation proposed by Gov. Martin O'Malley by a vote of 78-61. The amended bill bans 40 kinds of rifles including the AR15, requires fingerprinting and licensing of all purchasers of new guns and broadens the law prohibiting firearms purchases by anyone who is involuntarily committed because of mental illness. The bill was a major component of O'Malley's legislative package announced at the beginning of the 90-day session. The House of Delegates debated the bill for nearly 10 hours over two days. The amended bill will return to the Senate. The bill could go to a conference committee if the Senate does not accept the changes made by the House. Both the House and Senate must …
Friday, March 29, 2013
The bill that increases the gasoline tax by as much as 20 cents by 2016 now heads to Gov. Martin O'Malley for his signature.
A tax that will increase the cost of gas by as much as 20 cents by 2016 was given final approval Friday by the Maryland Senate. The bill passed largely along party lines by a vote of 27-20. Eight Democrats joined all 12 Republicans in opposing the tax increase measure. The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is expected to sign the tax into law. The final vote came after legislators suspended the rules, allowing them to take both a preliminary and final vote in the same day and allow many lawmakers to leave the capital to observe Good Friday. The bill increases the state's tax on gas by more than 20 cents to 43.7 cents per gallon on July 2016. The tax would increase to 44.6 cents per gallon if the federal government …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
O’Malley proposed the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013, which would decrease the gas tax on consumers and, in its place, tack on a wholesale gas tax of 4 percent to be phased in over the next two years.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Wednesday, March 20
By Amber Larkins for Capital News Service It’s not just anti-tax Republicans who are opposed to Gov. Martin O'Malley’s recently unveiled gas tax plan. The governor also faces opposition from some rural Democrats who say their constituents would pay more and not get many benefits. The gas tax is the largest source of revenue for the Transportation Trust Fund, which is used for transportation infrastructure projects. The fund does not have enough money to continue supporting existing infrastructure, let alone new roads, bridges and mass transit systems. O’Malley proposed the Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013, which would decrease the gas tax on consumers by 5 cents to 18.5 cents per gallon July 1. In its place, O’Malley’…
Friday, March 15, 2013
The bill now goes to Gov. Martin O'Malley for his signature.
The Maryland House of Delegates passed a bill repealing the death penalty in Maryland. With the 82-56 vote, the bill will go to Gov. Martin O'Malley for his signature.
Gov. Martin O'Malley talks about one of the reasons Maryland was a model state for a Department of Justice domestic violence initiative. Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder made the announcement in Rockville Wednesday.
Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder were in Rockville on Wednesday to announce a new initiative to fight domestic violence. Click here to read more on Rockville Patch.
Gov. Martin O'Malley talks about one of the reasons Maryland was a model state for a Department of Justice domestic violence initiative. Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder made the announcement in Rockville Wednesday.
Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder were in Rockville Wednesday to announce a new initiative to fight domestic violence. Click here to read more on Rockville Patch.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
New Goucher College poll finds the public is almost evenly split on the job performance of both Gov. Martin O'Malley and the Maryland General Assembly.
A narrow majority of Marylanders believe the state is headed in the wrong direction and most are split on the job performance of Gov. Martin O'Malley and the General Assembly. Forty-seven percent of those surveyed in a poll conducted by the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center at Goucher College believe the state is on the wrong track compared to 44 percent who think it is going in the right direction. The same poll gave mixed reviews on the job performance of the governor and state legislators. Forty-six percent of Marylanders polled said they held a favorable view of O’Malley compared to 45 percent who said they held an unfavorable view. When asked O’Malley's job performance as governor, 47 percent approved and 43 percent disapproved. …
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Share with your neighbors and friends in the Maryland Love Project.
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley recently announced the “Maryland Love Project,” an on-line portal where Maryland residents can express what they most appreciate about their state. Born of a partnership between the State of Maryland, the Baltimore Love Project, the Digital Harbor Foundation’s STEM Engine program and the Maryland State Arts Council, the Maryland Love Project is designed to “showcase all of the reasons why people love Maryland while shining a light on the important role that the arts and technology play in our communities,” O’Malley said in an annoucement. With the assistance of two mentors, four middle and high school students from the STEM Engine project created the portal--love.maryland.gov--during a seven-hour session at …
k
11:01 pm on Sunday, May 19, 2013
Welcome to Maryland the state that doesn't acknowledge or allow rights granted by the 2nd amendment unless you are a criminal.....of course. Does anyone actually think that making it illegal or difficult for law abiding citizens to own guns will actually stop the daily shootings that go on in Baltimore city?????? I'll vote against every politician that supported this idiotic bill!!!!!!! more ›