MARYLAND BRIEFING

NOVEMBER REFERENDUM

Chamber Throws Weight Behind Slots Proposal

The Maryland Chamber of Commerce will announce its support today for the proposal on the November ballot to legalize slot machine gambling in the state.

The 850-member business group has supported slots since the General Assembly first debated the issue during the Ehrlich administration. Last week, the chamber's board of directors voted formally to endorse the measure and the coalition organizing to get it passed, joining the Maryland Association of Counties and the state teachers association.

Chamber spokesman Will Burns said the group had made no decision on financially backing the pro-slots campaign. But, at a minimum, the chamber will be active in the grass-roots campaign to pass slots "and let people know what the alternatives are," he said.

"If the referendum fails, we expect more budget cuts, higher taxes or a combination of both," Burns said. If Marylanders end up paying higher taxes, "the business community will be in the cross hairs," he added.

-- Lisa Rein

ADVOCACY GROUPS' REPORT

State Rated Among Worst in Revealing Child Abuse

Maryland is among the 10 worst states when it comes to releasing information to the public about child abuse in cases involving death or serious injury, creating serious barriers to reform, a national report has concluded.

Maryland received an F in the study, which is being released today by two national child advocacy groups, First Star and the Children's Advocacy Institute of the University of San Diego School of Law.

The study found that Maryland policy is written in "severely restrictive conditional language." For example, Maryland is one of a few states in which information cannot be made public in cases involving death or serious injury unless criminal charges have been filed against the abuser.