In Session http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/blog/8/InSession.html State House reporter Liam Farrell gives insights into the inner workings of the 2010 General Assembly Session.]]> en-us Fri, 09 Jan 2009 09:39:46 -0500 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:28:29 -0400 http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html PHP 5.2.11 nlundskow@capitalgazette.com (Nick Lundskow) erikwiffin@capitalgazette.com (Erik Wiffin) 60 Fuzzy Math http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843887/FuzzyMath.html State lottery officials are pushing back against claims a recent slot machine contract for a Cecil County casino was too pricey.

Last week, the Board of Public Works approved a $49.4 million deal to purchase 795 slots and lease 267 machines, which drew opposition from Comptroller Peter Franchot. Franchot, who is no...

]]> Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:28:27 -0400 http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843887/FuzzyMath.html Cognitive dissonance http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843875/Cognitivedissonance.html Polls are a snapshot in time, and like snapshots from a camera, can occasionally be out of focus.

Take a recent Rasmussen poll, for example, which is building former governor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Ehrlich’s confidence. The poll of 500 likely Maryland voters was released yesterday and shows...

]]> Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:03:18 -0400 http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843875/Cognitivedissonance.html Election Reboot http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843874/ElectionReboot.html With election season getting underway, this seems as good a time as any to reboot this supine blog and get back in business heading toward November.

This blog is apparently not the only thing back in business, according to the Republican Party. I have a story in later today about last night’s annual Red, White...

]]> Fri, 11 Jun 2010 09:18:13 -0400 http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843874/ElectionReboot.html Not Midnight Yet http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843751/NotMidnightYet.html The General Assembly is now in its last full week of action, but that doesn’t mean things are calming down. In fact, with an election in November, events are just starting to pick up.

On the political front, little will probably compare to today’s planned announcement from former Republican Gov. Robert L....

]]> Wed, 07 Apr 2010 08:58:12 -0400 http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843751/NotMidnightYet.html Green Senate http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843690/GreenSenate.html It’s not every day you hear “The Minstrel Boy” wafting through the State House’s marble halls at 9:30 a.m., but St. Patrick’s Day always has some flair in the legislature.

Besides the numerous items of green clothing displayed by politicians, the State Senate featured two bagpipers, a string...

]]> Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:12:39 -0400 http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843690/GreenSenate.html Miller vote coming up http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843677/Millervotecomingup.html The Senate is scheduled to vote on the nomination of Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr.’s son tomorrow, and the senate president said today he won’t be around for it.

Gov. Martin O’Malley appointed Thomas V. Miller III to the Anne Arundel County District Court in January to fill a vacancy...

]]> Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:20:00 -0500 http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843677/Millervotecomingup.html Senate in School http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843676/SenateinSchool.html Education bills are becoming a hot topic in the State Senate as lawmakers wrestle with increasing the age of compulsory attendance and a local senator’s bill to give tax breaks for some public and private school donations.

Both of the bills – sponsored by Sen. Catherine Pugh, D-Baltimore City, and Sen. Ed...

]]> Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:20:19 -0500 http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843676/SenateinSchool.html Impeachment questions continue http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843663/Impeachmentquestionscontinue.html Del. Steve Schuh, R-Gibson Island, is the latest person asking for a deeper explanation of a recent letter stating the House of Delegates does not have the authority to impeach the attorney general.

Schuh sent a letter Thursday to Dan Friedman, the General Assembly’s counsel, outlining his concerns with the situation...

]]> Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:08:28 -0500 http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843663/Impeachmentquestionscontinue.html Arts tete-a-tete http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843647/Artsteteatete.html The city arts battle is still continuing, although House Speaker Michael E. Busch, D-Annapolis, tried today to at least get an airing of grievances.

Busch held a meeting today with representatives of the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts and the nascent Maryland Theatre for the Performing Arts, a project proposed...

]]> Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:50:07 -0500 http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843647/Artsteteatete.html Unemployment Fund Compromise http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843646/UnemploymentFundCompromise.html For the moment it appears a tentative compromise has been reached on Gov. Martin O’Malley’s proposal to relieve some of the pressure on the state’s unemployment trust fund.

The fund has basically been bankrupted as more people are laid off and file for benefits, triggering a drastic hike in the...

]]> Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:53:47 -0500 http://www.hometownannapolis.com/blogs/post/2843646/UnemploymentFundCompromise.html