MARYLAND BRIEFING

Thursday, May 25, 2006

MONTGOMERY POLITICS

Union Endorses Silverman and Perez

Montgomery County Council member Steven A. Silverman (D-At Large) picked up an endorsement yesterday from the 10,000-member Service Employees International Union Local 500 in the September primary for county executive.

The union, which represents employees in Maryland and the District, also endorsed County Council member Tom Perez (D-Silver Spring) for Maryland attorney general.

Silverman will face former council member and former Maryland Democratic Party chairman Isiah Leggett in the Sept. 12 primary. So far, Perez's opponent for the Democratic nomination is Montgomery County State's Attorney Douglas F. Gansler.

SEIU Local 500, which represents about 8,000 Montgomery school system employees, also announced its support for County Council and school board candidates.

For County Council, the union endorsed four incumbents: Howard A. Denis (R-Potomac-Bethesda), Michael Knapp (D-Upcounty), and Nancy Floreen (D) and Michael L. Subin (D) for at-large seats. The union also endorsed a newcomer for an at-large seat: Duchy Trachtenberg, a Democrat.

For school board, the union announced its support for incumbent Nancy Navarro (Northeastern County) and newcomer Shirley Brandman for an at-large seat.

-- Nancy Trejos

MEDICARE COVERAGE

Drug Plan Draws 525,000 Subscribers

More than 525,000 Maryland Medicare beneficiaries signed up for the program's new Part D prescription drug plan during its initial six months of enrollment, state officials announced yesterday.

The response means that 70 percent of Medicare beneficiaries in Maryland now have coverage through Medicare to buy medicines. Because of a last-minute surge in Part D enrollment before a May 15 deadline, the federal government estimates that more than 38 million seniors nationwide -- more than 90 percent of Medicare beneficiaries -- have prescription drug coverage.

-- Susan Levine

BALTIMORE SCHOOLS

12-Year-Old Stabbed; 10-Year-Old Charged

A 12-year-old girl was stabbed by another student in the hallway of a Baltimore elementary school shortly after school began yesterday.

A 10-year-old girl at Steuart Hill Academy was charged as a juvenile with aggravated assault. She told school police that the other girl had been taunting her.

The victim was stabbed in the chest and upper left arm with a steak knife. She was treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Police said her injuries were not life-threatening.

-- Associated Press