| Page 2 of 2 < |
Senate Gives Initial Approval to Installing Speed Cameras Across State
|
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
-- Lisa Rein
Caring About the Bay
More than two dozen environmental, agricultural and business leaders in Maryland signed a letter to the General Assembly's presiding officers yesterday calling for full funding of the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund.
Lawmakers seeking more than $300 million in cuts to the budget proposed by Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) have suggested trimming by as much as half the first $50 million allocation to the fund to clean up the bay, which was established last fall.
In a letter to House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), the leaders of 32 groups said that cleaning the bay is critical and cannot be delayed. The letter cited statistics of fish kills and declining blue crab and oyster harvests caused by poor water quality and pollution.
"While we understand the need to address our fiscal deficit, Maryland's ecological deficit has been overlooked for far too long," it said. "The undersigned organizations urge you to fully fund the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund."
"Otherwise," it continued, "what will we tell our children, that we cared about the Bay, just not enough?"
-- Philip Rucker and Lisa Rein
Contesting the Special Session
Maryland's highest court heard arguments yesterday in a GOP-led lawsuit contesting November's special session.
The suit contends that laws passed in the special session should be overturned because of alleged constitutional violations. The special session resulted in $1.4 billion in tax increases and an upcoming referendum on whether to legalize slot machine gambling.
A GOP attorney argued that lawmakers violated a constitutional provision that prevents one chamber of the legislature from adjourning for more than three days without consent of the other chamber. Chief Judge Robert Bell pointed out that the purpose of the consent provision is to keep lawmakers working on legislation -- not to undermine legislation they approve.
Assistant Attorney General Austin Schlick was asked why lawmakers decided that a constitutional amendment was needed to solve the slot machine issue when they had the power to legalize the machines. Schlick said it was needed to accomplish the full legislative purpose.
-- Associated Press
