Republican gubernatorial nominee Larry Hogan has formally “disassociate[d]” himself from Michael Peroutka, the GOP nominee for an Anne Arundel County Council seat. The Maryland Democratic Party has filed a complaint with the state elections board against Hogan. Drug overdose deaths are up in MD. Oysters are moving from the Inner Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay. And more.Hogan Disavows Peroutka: Republican gubernatorial hopeful Larry Hogan has formally “disassociate[d]” himself from Michael Peroutka, the GOP nominee for an Anne Arundel County Council seat. The move comes after rising attention to Peroutka’s relationship with the group “League of the South.” That organization calls for the southern states to secede from America, and has been labeled as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its views on race. Hogan’s spokesman tells the Baltimore Sun that the views of the group “have never been a part of the Republican Party and they never will.” He adds that Larry Hogan has “absolutely disavow[ed]” Peroutka. Peroutka’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment yesterday. The Capital Gazette reports that the Executive Director of the Maryland Republican Party – Joe Cluster – is set to meet with Peroutka today, to talk with him about his affiliation with the “League of the South.” Cluster tells the Sun that the party “can’t do much to help [Peroutka] out” if he maintains his relationship with the group. Peroutka is facing Democrat Patrick Armstrong in the November General Election.
Dems File Complaint Against Hogan: The Maryland Democratic Party has filed a complaint with the state elections board against Republican gubernatorial nominee Larry Hogan. The complaint alleges that Hogan’s campaign illegally coordinated with “Change Maryland,” the political advocacy group Hogan founded in 2011. The Baltimore Sun notes that Hogan’s campaign acquired the assets of “Change Maryland” shortly after he entered the governor’s race in January. And Hogan’s rivals in the GOP filed a similar complaint during the primary – which the state Board of Elections dismissed earlier this month, saying that no laws were broken. The Democratic Party says its allegations are based on new information. The Washington Post has more here.
Delaney Asks MEMA To Reconsider Aid Request: 6th District Congressman John Delaney has written to Governor Martin O’Malley and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, asking them to reconsider an aid request to the federal government so that those affected by damaging floods that hit western Maryland in June can get federal help. O'Malley and the head of MEMA had earlier determined that damages were not costly enough to be able to qualify. The state made a decision not to seek federal aid for the flooding that affected more than 60 properties in the Clear Spring area. Several families lost their homes in the June 12th storms, and many buildings in Washington and Allegany counties were severely damaged. Washington County's director of Emergency Services tells the Hagerstown Herald Mailthat he hopes the governor will reconsider.
Space Camp: More than 500 of Maryland's Gifted and Talented students are participating in summer camps around the state. The camps focus on areas such as the arts, computer science, languages, and the environment. In this report, WYPR's Gwendolyn Glenn visits a space camp at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Laurel.
How Baltimore Students Are Fighting Proposed Waste-To-Energy Plant: WYPR's Fraser Smith and Van Smith of the City Paper talk about a waste-to-energy incinerator proposed for Baltimore's Fairfield neighborhood, and why a group of high school students are getting some traction on a campaign to stop the project. It’s this morning’s look Inside Maryland Politics.
MD Drug Overdose Deaths Up 33%: Drug overdose deaths in Maryland were up sharply in the first quarter of this year… rising 33 percent. A newly-released report from the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene says the state saw 252 overdose deaths from January to March. More than half of those deaths were related to heroin. Governor Martin O’Malley said yesterday that, despite his administration’s efforts to prevent fatal overdoses, the situation is “getting worse.” O’Malley tells the Washington Post that the state will redouble its efforts to stop overdoses. The Hagerstown Herald Mail has more.
Obamacare Prompts Refunds: More than 206-thousand Marylanders will receive a total of more than $17-million in refunds from insurance companies due to the Affordable Care Act. That's the word from US Senator Ben Cardin and Health and Human Service Secretary Sylvia Burwell. They say the money works out to an average of 140 dollars per family and is a result of an Obamacare requirement that health insurers spend no more than 20-percent of premium dollars on profits, marketing and salaries. The Baltimore Business Journal has more here.
Baby Oysters Move From The Inner Harbor To The Chesapeake Bay: More than 25-thousand baby oysters are moving from the Inner Harbor to the Chesapeake Bay. The oysters were planted by the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore nine months ago. About 70 percent of the oysters that were planted in five Inner Harbor gardens survived… far better than the 1 percent survival rate typically reported in the wild. The Baltimore Business Journal reports that the Waterfront Partnership plans to expand its oyster program in the fall.
Roadwork In Downtown Baltimore Nears End: Downtown Baltimore drivers will soon be getting a break. Transportation officials say some of the roadwork near the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore that has slowed traffic for months will be wrapping up next week. Outbound Russell Street commuters are expected to see relief in time for the O's return to Camden Yards next Tuesday. Those heading into town will have to wait a little longer for relief as utility work will continue to block the right lane near the casino for another three weeks or so. The casino itself is set to open a month from tomorrow. The Baltimore Sun has more.
Letter Carrier Pleads Guilty: A Catonsville letter carrier accused of stealing more than 20-thousand pieces of mail is pleading guilty. The man faces up to five years in prison and a quarter-million-dollar fine when he is sentenced in January. Investigators say they found bags full of mail, including gift and credit cards, Netflix videos and other valuables in a search of his Millersville home and a Glen Burnie storage facility.The Baltimore Sun has more.
Baltimore Baseball: The Orioles won last night’s game against the Seattle Mariners; the score was 4 to 0. The two teams play again tonight.
Baltimore Football: With the Ravens first official practice on the books the team will continue training camp today at its training facility in Owings Mills. There are two other practices open to the public. The Ravens open up their preseason slate at home from BB&T Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers on August 7th. The Baltimore Sun has more.
Rice Not To Appeal Suspension: Suspended Ravens running back Ray Rice reportedly will not appeal his two-game ban to start the regular season. Rice will be suspended without pay for violating the league's personal conduct policy, after he was arrested earlier in the offseason on assault charges. He has since been accepted into a pretrial intervention program that will allow the assault charge to be dismissed if completed. Rice will be eligible for reinstatement following the season-opening games against the Bengals and Steelers. There’s more here from the Baltimore Sun and here from the Baltimore Business Journal.
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