End of life bill stopped in Maryland Senate
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - In a twist on the Maryland Senate floor, a bill that would allow someone who is dying to request aid from a physician was defeated with a deadlocked 23 to 23 vote Wednesday. Senator Obie Patterson, (D) Prince George's County, did not cast his vote saying he had not prepared himself to take a stance on the bill. He said his religion also played a role. "I think I researched it," said Patterson. "I talked with folks and my decision today was to not cast a vote.
Maryland General Assembly overrides Gov. Hogan's vetoes of $15 minimum wage, comptroller's o
aryland’s General Assembly took swift action Thursday to override Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of a bill that will gradually increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. The override of the minimum wage bill was never in question and came by wide margins: 96-43 in the House of Delegates, followed by a 32-15 vote in the Senate. It takes 29 votes to override in the Senate and 85 in the House. Lawmakers also overrode a veto of a bill that strips State Comptroller Peter Franchot
Maryland should study the climate effects of highway expansion before committing to it
Parris N. Glendening is president of the Smart Growth America’s Leadership Institute. Maryland needs a new vision for transportation, one that focuses on moving people vs. cars as swiftly as possible while protecting our health, environment and planet. The first step toward this vision is to recognize that the current process does not work. Now, no Maryland or federal law requires an analysis of greenhouse emissions associated with major transportation projects. Though the Ob
Maryland Senate votes to abolish the state's Handgun Permit Review Board; measure moves to House
he Maryland Senate approved a bill Monday night that would abolish the state’s Handgun Permit Review Board. The 30-16 vote now moves the measure to the House of Delegates for consideration. Some lawmakers and gun control advocates have raised concerns about the board, saying it has been too permissive in overturning and modifying Maryland State Police decisions on handgun permits. Handgun owners who want to carry their guns with them must prove to the Maryland State Police th
Medical aid-in-dying bill advances to state Senate
A substantially changed medical aid-in-dying bill is headed to the Maryland Senate for debate this week. The 2019 session will mark the first time the full Senate will debate whether a person with a terminal illness should be allowed to request medical help ending their life. The House of Delegates narrowly passed a version of the bill earlier this month. With only two weeks left in the 90-day legislative session, however, the House and Senate are far apart on several key pro
Capital budget aids in repair of Frederick County infrastructure
ANNAPOLIS — The General Assembly has preliminarily approved well over a million dollars of funding for local projects in Frederick County. The House and Senate each released their list of funding priorities for local projects with the largest allocations in Frederick County targeted at damage from the 2018 floods. The state Capital Budget has initially awarded $200,000 for flood mitigation to the Frederick YMCA, and earmarked an additional $100,000 to repair drinking water in
Wave of legislation on wages, tobacco and beer passes General Assembly
ANNAPOLIS — Minimum wage workers in Maryland will eventually earn $15 an hour, the state Senate and House agreed on Wednesday. Each chamber approved a compromise bill that will increase the minimum non-tipped wage from $10.10 an hour to $15 an hour by 2025. The bill will head next to the desk of Gov. Larry Hogan (R). “We are getting it up to $15 an hour. That’s a win,” Sen. Ron Young (D-Frederick) said after the vote. However, there will be no wage increase for tipped workers
Watered-Down Aid-in-Dying Bill Clears Senate Committee
A key Senate committee voted Friday afternoon to send an aid-in-dying bill to the chamber floor, but advocates on both sides are unhappy with the legislation. The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee considered more than 50 proposed amendments to the bill and incorporated about two dozen changes. The bill, which has failed to gain traction in three of the past four years, was passed out of the House of Delegates earlier this month after an emotional 74-66 vote. The bill is e
Maryland lawmakers give final OK to increase minimum wage to $15 an hour
The Maryland General Assembly gave its final approval Wednesday to legislation increasing the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. The measure will go next to Gov. Larry Hogan, who opposes such a significant increase. But both the House of Delegates and the Senate approved the bill with more than enough votes to override a veto. The legislation gradually increases the minimum wage from the current $10.10 per hour to $15 per hour by Jan. 1, 2025, for companies with 15 or more
State AG: Frederick, Carroll counties can proceed with different Monocacy River plans
Within a week of Frederick County Attorney John Mathias issuing an opinion stating that Frederick County can have its own Monocacy Scenic River Management Plan, the state attorney general’s office and Carroll County attorney have both issued similar opinions. For more than two years, representatives from both counties — sitting on the joint Monocacy Scenic River Citizens Advisory Board — have debated and crafted a plan to try to serve both counties, under the Scenic and Wild
