Wednesday, March 20, 2013
A libertarian group launched attack ads aimed at the legislation, Maryland Juice reported.
After Maryland's 2012 ballot was stuffed with referendums for everything from same-sex marriage to gambling in Prince George's County, Burtonsville Democrat Del. Eric Luedtke proposed more stringent standards for petitioners. Columnist Marta Mossburg wrote off the bill as hypocrisy in an op-ed for the Baltimore Sun on Feb. 26 and a group called Citizens in Charge reportedly mailed a slew of attack ads taking shots at Luedtke and the bill to Maryland voters last week. Luedtke wrote an opinion piece for the Sun on March 3, defending his legislation, which, he said calls for more transparancy in the funding of petition campaigns; requires signers to be made aware of whether their information will become public information and validates …
Monday, December 10, 2012
‘This election dispels this myth that the African-American population is against same-sex marriage.'
— Jodi Kelber-Kaye, the associate director of the Honors College at the University of Maryland
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Monday, December 10, 2012
By HANNAH MORGAN | Capital News Service ANNAPOLIS - Same-sex marriage opponents counted African-American voters among their allies leading up to November's election, expecting them to help overturn legislation allowing same-sex couples to marry in Maryland. Polls in the months prior to November's referendum on same-sex marriage seemed to back them up, with African-Americans showing less support than whites. But as the months wore on, opposition softened, especially in the face of endorsements from President Obama and prominent entertainers, as well as a media campaign that included clergy, athletes and other public figures. By Election Day, voters in the state's large, predominantly black jurisdictions -- Baltimore and Prince George's …
Monday, November 5, 2012
A look at what's at stake—and how the battle is being waged.
Note: This article was originally published on Oct. 25 but is being featured again ahead of Tuesday's election. WHAT IT'S ABOUT Question 7 asks voters whether they favor a plan to expand gambling in Maryland that would: The ballot question is a result of legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly during its 2012 special session (view the House and Senate roll calls) and signed by Gov. Martin O'Malley. Several other portions of the law are not subject to a referendum. Slot machines have been permitted in the state since voters approved a gaming referendum (59 percent to 41 percent) in November 2008. Passage of Question 7 would mark a significant shift, however, bringing Maryland's casinos closer in line with those of Atlantic City …
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
As advocates boost their million-dollar ad campaign, more than 800 faith leaders will rally Tuesday in Silver Spring to spur more voter outreach ahead of Election Day.
With Election Day just two weeks away, "Dream Act" advocates have stepped up their million-dollar ad campaign and are convening a pair of rallies this week, one of which is expected to draw more than 800 faith-based activists to Silver Spring today. Signed into law after narrowly clearing the 2011 legislative session, the Dream Act would allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition if they: A Republican-led petition drive quickly garnered more than 100,000 signatures, more than twice what was required to send it to referendum. If it survives the Nov. 6 vote, Maryland voters will be the first in the nation to approve in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. Dream Act opponents say that the collection of so many signatures in less than …
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Accusations abound as elected officials and the county police union gear up their campaigns to win the Nov. 6 referendum on curtailing FOP Lodge 35's authority on "effects bargaining."
The heated debate between Montgomery County officials and the county’s police union—which has already cast aspersions in all directions—is primed to get even hotter ahead of the Election Day referendum on reigning in the union’s negotiating rights. Question B on the Nov. 6 ballot will decide whether to preserve “effects bargaining,” which gives FOP Lodge 35 domain over a broad range of department policies. According to the 1982 effects bargaining law, the FOP can negotiate any action by the police chief that has an “effect on employees.” That has been applied to include, for example, officer reassignments, disability guidelines, distributing equipment and how to implement a computerized system for writing reports. It does not affect …
Thursday, August 30, 2012
With two months until Election Day, a new campaign is launched to win two controversial ballot initiatives.
Casa de Maryland, the state’s largest immigrant advocacy organization, and Equality Maryland, the largest LGBT rights group, have forged an alliance to convince voters to approve same-sex marriage and to allow certain college-bound illegal immigrant students to pay in-state tuition. Dubbed “Familia es Familia,” the campaign launched Tuesday in Langley Park with advocates framing same-sex marriage and the Maryland Dream Act as kindred causes grounded in a family-first sensibility. The campaign will draw its persuasive power from the personal experiences of young, LGBT immigrants. Montgomery County Councilwoman Nancy Navarro told the story of her brother Pedro, who came out to her and her sister 17 years ago, reported The Washington Blade…
Monday, August 27, 2012
Same-sex marriage, in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, expanded gambling and congressional redistricting all come down to state voters this November.
With voters deciding four of Maryland’s most divisive issues, pundits and pols are bracing for an Election Day outcome the likes of which the state has never seen. The Nov. 6 ballot will feature seven statewide referenda in all—the most ever, reported The Washington Post. Those ballot questions were certified last week, to include: one question each for Prince George’s County and Baltimore County to require that orphan’s court judges pass the Maryland Bar, and a change in state law to accelerate the removal or suspension of elected officials convicted of crimes while in office. The other four ballot questions are expected to spur unprecedented electioneering by advocates on all sides: SAME-SEX MARRIAGE If gay couples come out of Nov. 6 …
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
In-state tuition for illegal immigrants will be one of seven ballot questions voters will settle in November.
With barely 10 weeks before an Election Day decision on the 2011 law that would allow in-state tuition for undocumented students, opponents of the Maryland “Dream Act” are gearing up for a campaign to persuade voters to shoot the act down. Advocates on both sides of the issue now know how voters will have the question put to them when they take to voting booths November for Maryland’s first referendum on an enacted law in more than 20 years. On Monday, the Maryland State Board of Elections spelled out the language for all seven questions appearing on the Nov. 6 ballot, of which the Dream Act will be fourth: Public Institutions of Higher Education – Tuition Rates (Ch. 191 of the 2011 Legislative Session) Establishes that individuals, …
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Vote was 5-3 among Germantown area senators, delegates
Upper Montgomery County lawmakers were split Wednesday on whether to put expanded gaming up for a referendum. Passed Wednesday morning by the Maryland Senate, the measure would leave it up to voters to approve the expansion of gaming to a sixth location, Towson Patch reports. Of the eight state senators and delegates representing districts 15 and 39 — whose boundary includes Germantown, and parts of Darnestown and North Potomac — five voted in favor of the referendum and while the other three cast opposing votes, according to an unofficial roll call. How they voted Yays Del. Kathleen M. Dumais, D-Dist. 15 Del. Brian J. Feldman, D. Dist. 15 Sen. Robert Garagiola, D-Dist. 15 Sen. Nancy King, D-Dist. 39 Del. Kirill Reznik, D-Dist. 39 Nays …
Monday, August 13, 2012
Del. Curt Anderson said he spent the weekend looking for "dirty tricks" in the Senate bill. "I found several," the city delegation chairman said.
Concerns about a Senate gaming bill will lead to nearly a half dozen amendments from Baltimore City delegates. "Did they think we weren't going to read the bill?" said Del. Curt Anderson, chairman of the Baltimore City delegation to the House of Delegates. Anderson made his comments during and after a one-hour meeting with city legislators on the version of the Senate bill that seeks to expand gambling in Maryland. Anderson said he spent the weekend reading the bill looking for "dirty tricks." "I found several," Anderson said. The Senate passed its bill Friday night and will not reconvene until 7 p.m. Tuesday. Any changes made by the House would have to be approved by the Senate. Five provisions of the Senate bill have caused concern among…
RC
7:51 pm on Monday, November 5, 2012
I hear all of these negatives to it - like that it stipulates Union Labor and that labor will come from outside MD. So, where does it stipulate that and where are the specifics? And, certainly their will be some jobs for MDers. If there are other jobs created because of this, even outside of MD (if need-be) isn't that a good thing too. Like taxes expected to generate from hotel taxes, extra … more ›