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Hoyer Holds Forth on War, Health Care, Guarantees

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Mechanicsville, reflected on his recent discussion with President Obama regarding Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s call for more troops during his weekly pen and pad briefing Wednesday.

“I think there was a general feeling around the room that whatever your particular view on what General McChrystal had recommended, the president had to grapple with this and come up with a policy that accomplishes the objectives the president thinks are critical,” Hoyer said.

“This is an issue that requires us to think very carefully … Afghanistan has not been a successful venue for many great powers in the past, I can’t think of any. I think we also need to have some great confidence that the government in Afghanistan is a viable government, with the confidence of its people.”

Switching gears to health care, Hoyer talked about reconciling the Senate’s bill with one that would pass in the House.

“I would be shocked if there was not a very robust conference where we would come to grips with differences between the House and the Senate. We’re not there yet in determining what the Senate bill is going to look like.”

When asked if he could guarantee the House would pass a health care bill before Christmas, Hoyer said: “Can I guarantee that? No. Do I think it will? Yes. I am way beyond guaranteeing what we’re going to do and when we’re going to do it.”

- By Capital News Service’s David Johnson

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O’Malley: Health Care Reform Necessary to Fix State Budget

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

The state’s ailing budget cannot be cured without first gaining control of rising health care costs, said Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley during a phone conference Thursday morning organized by the Democratic National Committee.

“[Health care costs are] the single largest part of our budget,” O’Malley said, and one that could “crowd everything else out of the picture.”

Maryland  has made $735 million in cuts to this year’s state budget and is searching for an additional $300 million to cut in order to balance the budget when the fiscal year ends in June.

O’Malley cited education and public safety as services that may be at risk if health care costs are not put in check soon.

Speaking Thursday in support of President Obama’s goals for health reform, O’Malley said the state’s health care costs grow at a rate of 7 or 8 percent every year and promise to continue to do so if no changes are made.

“If we do nothing it’s going to be nearly impossible for us to be able to keep up with those escalating costs,” he said.

Maryland Sen. Richard Colburn, R-Dorchester, agreed that health care might play a role in fixing Maryland’s budget, but said it shouldn’t be seen as a cure-all.

“There is a possibility that the health care plan will help Maryland’s budget, but our problems are deep and we’re going to have  to face some tough cuts in an election year 2010 session,” Colburn said. “We have to move ahead no matter what they do in Washington.”

O’Malley praised the federal government for stepping in to help the state at a time when it needs it, comparing the challenge Maryland faces with those of small business owners who also  must scramble to find a way to provide affordable health care to their employees.

“I think the key, the real key, is making sure everyone is covered,” O’Malley said.

- By Capital News Service’s Karen Anderson.

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Business As Usual on Drug Control

Friday, September 25th, 2009

Radical proposals for fighting the spread of illegal drugs were few and far between at Gov. Martin O’Malley’s roundtable discussion Friday on drug control strategy. But, it was clear the emphasis is shifting toward drug treatment and prevention.

O’Malley met with President Obama’s “Drug Czar” Gil Kerlikowske, House Speaker Michael Busch, D-Anne Arundel, law enforcement officials, and community leaders at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County to discuss the subject.

Kerlikowske, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said he had ended the “war on drugs” four months ago and was helping the president develop a new drug strategy. But, by and large, Busch, Kerlikowske, and O’Malley stuck to well-worn talking points in a question and answer session with reporters following the meeting.

“We know [successfully fighting drugs is] a combination of three things,” said O’Malley. “It’s not only better and more effective law enforcement, it’s better and more effective interventions in the lives of our most at-risk young people and it’s better and more effective drug treatment and drug prevention.”

When asked whether there was any discussion of legalizing drugs, Kerlikowske said, “The president has a very clear statement about that, and it’s that legalization is not in his vocabulary, and it’s certainly not in mine.”

“And it didn’t come up here,” O’Malley added quickly.

The most novel idea that seemed to come up in the meeting involved the use of alternative medicine.

“[There was some talk about], within the context of wellness, about the effectiveness of acupuncture,” said O’Malley. “I think the director of [Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems] said that ‘I can’t tell you the ins and outs and science of acupuncture, but I can tell you I have numbers that show, where it’s been employed, it’s proven that it’s a big help.’”

- By Capital News Service’s Christopher M. Matthews.

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Slots Face Competition from Md. Neighbors

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

CNS photo by Bobby McMahon

High above Route 50 she reclines, sporting a come-hither look and a revealing referee’s uniform. Like the mythical sirens luring sailors toward the rocks with their songs, she tries to entice eastbound drivers with the promise of excitement not found in Maryland.

She is a billboard advertisement from Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, and she has a simple message: “Sports Betting is Coming!” In fact, it’s already here.

As the Video Lottery Facility Location Commission begins deciding on bids this week, the future success of slots could be affected not only by what happens within Maryland, but also by what happens right next door.

Delaware recently began offering limited sports betting (by law, casinos can only offer three game parlays on NFL games), and elected officials in both Pennsylvania and Delaware are considering offering table games like blackjack and roulette in the near future.

But Buddy Roogow, director of the Maryland Lottery, says the new slots parlors will not be adversely affected if states around Maryland begin offering table games. He referenced studies that show slots as the main draw for casino gamers, and said table games and sports betting won’t lure Marylanders over the border.

“I believe that Marylanders who go to casinos in other states will be more likely to stay in Maryland once it opens its facilities,” he says. “That’s independent of whether or not those out of state facilities have sports books or table games.”

–by Capital News Service’s Bobby McMahon

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Where Should Slots Be Located?

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

As slot machine locations are debated around the state, some residents near proposed locations are getting riled. As CNS reporter Bobby McMahon writes, Philip Van der Vossen, a Hanover resident, lives roughly a quarter mile from a proposed site in Anne Arundel County.

“[Arundel Mills] is not developed to be a casino,” Van der Vossen says. “It’s developed to be a family place.”

Where do you think slots should be located in Maryland? How well do you think the state is handling the selection process?

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Obama Heckler Has History of Disruptive Behavior

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Andrew Beacham, a 26-year-old intern for Operation Rescue Insurrecta Nex, was ejected Thursday after disrupting President Obama’s health care speech at the University of Maryland.

“I did it because the emperor has no clothes,” Beacham said. “Every time the government puts forth a new proposal, they just find different ways to fund abortion.”

According to Insurrecta Nex, a conservative anti-abortion group based in Washington, D.C., Beacham was also arrested for disrupting Obama’s Notre Dame commencement speech and Sonia Sotomayor’s Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing.

Beacham was escorted out of the University of Maryland’s Comcast Center by campus police.

“I was detained briefly,” Beacham said. “They asked for some of my personal information, but after that I basically was allowed to walk out of the building.”

– By Capital News Service’s Tina Irgang

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Posted in College Park, Health & Science, State politics | 2 Comments »

O’Malley Wants Broader DNA Collection Standard

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Gov. Martin O’Malley indicated Wednesday that he wished the standard for Maryland’s controversial DNA sample collecting was more expansive than it is in its current form.

“I’d like a procedure [for DNA sample collection] akin to what we have for fingerprinting,” O’Malley said, in a lecture to law students at the University of Baltimore.

Last year, O’Malley successfully pushed through legislation expanding law enforcement officials’ ability to collect DNA samples.

Previously, DNA samples could only be collected from criminals convicted of violent crimes. Under the new law, which took effect Jan. 1, law enforcement can collect DNA samples from those who are charged with committing or attempting to commit certain violent crimes.

The Maryland State Police uses a broader standard when it comes to fingerprinting. Deputy Director of Communications Elena Russo said the agency fingerprints anyone who is arrested on any criminal charges.

When asked whether the governor wanted legislation with broader collection standards, Deputy Press Secretary Christine Hansen cited O’Malley’s original legislative proposal, which called for DNA collection for individuals arrested for specific violent crimes. Hansen did not respond to questions about whether or not the governor will try to amend the current legislation during next year’s legislative session.

As O’Malley pushed for the law last year, groups like the Legislative Black Caucus and the American Civil Liberties Union sharply criticized the legislation. They said the new standards for DNA collection violated the presumption of innocence established by the Fourth Amendment.

The Black Caucus and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People also expressed fears that the law would have a discriminatory effect because minorities are more likely to be arrested for violent crimes.

If O’Malley attempts to expand the law next year, he will likely face renewed opposition.

–By Capital News Service’s Christopher M. Matthews

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Md. Senate Debates Driver’s License Bill

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

A debate on the Senate floor about a bill that would require proof of legal presence before receiving a state driver’s license degenerated into a heated argument over U.S. immigration policy Thursday.

The Senate passed the bill earlier this month, but needed to hold a procedural vote in order to force the issue into a conference committee with the House. The House bill differs from the Senate bill because it would allow immigrants who already have licenses to renew them without the added documentation.

During the debate, Sen. Nancy Jacobs, R-Harford, suggested that previous generations of immigrants were fundamentally different from the immigrants of today.

“Our forefathers dropped to their knees and thanked God when their boats landed at Ellis Island,” Jacobs said. “Now, in [2009], there is a new type of immigrant. They want all of this country’s benefits, but they don’t want to play by the same rules.”

On the other side, Sen. David C. Harrington, D-Prince George’s, argued that immigration policy regarding political asylum was slanted to allow refugees from Eastern Europe, but not from countries like Nicaragua and El Salvador.
“This bill raises the specter of hypocrisy,” Harrington said. “When people from Eastern Europe came, we found a way.”

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., D-Calvert, tried to put the debate into historical perspective, noting that the country’s immigration policies have never been perfect, from having quotas for Irish and Italian immigrants to turning away boats full of Jewish refugees during World War II.

Miller said Wednesday that a compromise between the House and Senate was unlikely, and that one of the chambers would have to back down in conference committee for the bill to be signed into law.

“It’s either you’re lawfully present and entitled to a driver’s license, or you keep the present system, which is allowing illegals to have driver’s licenses,” Miller said.

–By Capital News Service’s Erich Wagner

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State Launches Veterans Care Web site

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

ANNAPOLIS – Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown unveiled a Web site Tuesday the state hopes will provide information about available services to Maryland veterans and their families.

 

The Maryland Veterans Network of Care portal accumulates information on various services available to veterans at the federal, state and local levels, from health and mental wellness to education, housing and employment.

 

Brown said the difficult economic climate makes it even more important that veterans be aware of the resources they can use as they return to civilian life.

 

“In these tough times we need to redouble our commitment to veterans and their families,” Brown said.

 

Iraq veterans are more prone to traumatic brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder and need to know about mental health services in the state, particularly in rural areas where these services can be harder to find, said Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary John Colmers.

 

Officials plan to address the issue of public awareness of the Web site through advertising, Brown said. The state has hired a consultant and is considering ads on buses and in community newspapers.

 

 –By Capital News Service’s Erich Wagner

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Miller Touts Potential Buyers for Race Courses

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

ANNAPOLIS – Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., D-Calvert, might have his “white knight” after all.

Miller said Thursday he’s received calls in the last day from two “very substantial people in Maryland” expressing interest in buying Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course and keeping the Preakness Stakes in Maryland. He declined to name the potential buyers.

A day earlier, Miller said he hoped a “white knight” would swoop in and purchase the two race courses owned by Magna Entertainment Corp., which filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this month. But he said finding a private buyer might be difficult, and the state was prepared to step in.

On Tuesday, Miller said the state should consider buying the Preakness as a “last-ditch option” and perhaps build its own racetrack in order to keep the storied second jewel of the Triple Crown in Maryland. He said Wednesday he would not oppose a Special Session to facilitate state involvement if the racetracks went up for sale after this legislative session ends.

A longtime horse racing supporter, Miller has previously expressed fear that Laurel Park might be purchased and converted to mixed-use development.

–By Capital News Service’s Dylan Waugh

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