A look at what President Obama's budget proposal holds for Maryland, and at the high turnout of Marylanders at yesterday's rally for immigration reform legislation in Washington DC. Plus: Governor Martin O'Malley says he'll give "serious consideration" for a presidential bid in 2016; Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger says he's "considering" a gubernatorial bid in 2014. Plus: oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay continue to rise, table games begin at Maryland's largest casino, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan talks about school violence prevention in Baltimore County, and more.
The Impact Of Obama's Budget Proposal On Maryland: Renovations for two federal buildings in Baltimore are among the items that would be funded by President Obama's proposed $3.77-trillion budget. As the Baltimore Business Journal reports, the Edward A. Garmatz U.S. Courthouse would get almost $8-million in electrical upgrades... and the George H. Fallon Federal Building would receive more than $5-million for indoor parking garage repairs. Obama is also proposing a 7 percent increase to the administrative budget for the Woodlawn-based Social Security Administration. The Baltimore Sun notes that the budget also calls on federal workers to increase their contributions to their retirement plans. About 300-thousand federal workers live in Maryland.
Yesterday's Immigration Rally: Thousands of supporters of immigration reform rallied on Capitol Hill yesterday, including many high-profile activists and government officials. The Chevy Chase Patch reports that they demanded Congress pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill; legislative leaders say such a bill could be finalized before the week is over. The proposed legislation would offer a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11-million undocumented immigrants living in the US. Yesterday's rally was designed to shed light on immigrant families and their struggles; it was was partially organized by Casa de Maryland, which the Frederick News Post notes transported hundreds of people from around the state into Washington DC.
O'Malley To Give "Serious Consideration" To A Presidential Bid: Governor Martin O'Malley says he will take the rest of the year to consider whether he'll run for president in 2016. The Baltimore Sun reports that O'Malley says he'll have the time to give serious thought about what he may have to offer in a presidential campaign, now that this year's General Assembly session is complete. O'Malley will be term-limited out of the Governor's post in January of 2015.
Ruppersberger "Considering" Gubernatorial Bid: Democratic Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger, who's represented the 2nd District for six terms, tells the Baltimore Sun that he is "considering" a gubernatorial bid in 2014. Ruppersberger's being term limited out of his post of ranking Democrat of the House Select Committee on Intelligence when the current Congress ends. Several other candidates have expressed their interest in running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, including Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, Attorney General Doug Gansler, and Howard County Executive Ken Ulman.
Table Games: Casino gambling has expanded again with the addition of table games at another venue. At one minute past midnight, the Maryland Live! casino in Anne Arundel County began operating more than 100 games which include poker, blackjack and roulette. The Baltimore Sun notes that the facility plans to open a two story poker room this summer.
Chesapeake Bay Oyster Populations Continue To Rise: The number of native oysters in the Chesapeake Bay is continuing to go up... for the second year in a row. The Department of Natural Resources says that the oyster population is at its highest level since 1999. The oyster reproduction rate and oyster survival rate are also up. Other good news for Chesapeake Bay oysters... the diseases that prey on them are dropping in prevalence. The disease MSX is at an all time low, and while the disease Dermo is up slightly over a record low in 2011, its rates are still below long-term averages. There's more here from the Daily Times.
A Profile Of Teacher And Playwright Rich Espey: By day he teaches science at The Park School in Baltimore. But on some nights, Rich Espey puts on his theater hat as an actor and playwright on stages in Charm City and the surrounding areas. WYPR's Gwendolyn Glenn has this profile.
Lawmakers' Failure On Dog Bite Liability: The General Assembly and Governor Martin O’Malley may be getting applause for a workmanlike legislative session, but what about their failure on the issue of pit bulls and dog bite liability? WYPR’s Senior News Analyst Fraser Smith comments in his weekly essay.
Arne Duncan In Baltimore County: U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan was at Loch Raven High School yesterday... where he told Baltimore County parents, students and educators that they need to work together to stop school violence. County Schools' Superintendent Dallas Dance says that keeping schools safe is an ongoing effort. More on yesterday's event here from the Baltimore Sun.
Speed Cameras: Baltimore City's Board of Estimates has agreed to spend $2.2-million on 72 new automated speed cameras; the devices are replacing a slew of older cameras that had proved problematic. The Baltimore Sun reports that city's new speed camera vendor has already bought the cameras, but needed the Board of Estimates' approval to finalize the purchase.
Ben Carson Out As Hopkins Commencement Speaker: Dr. Ben Carson has stepped down as this year's commencement speaker at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. The Baltimore Sun reports that the neurosurgeon took the action himself after complaints by students over comments he made about same sex marriage. Carson has apologized for the comments and says they were misinterpreted.
Fires In Anne Arundel County: Firefighters in Anne Arundel County are recovering from a full day of putting out wildfires including an extra large one in Maryland City. At least ten acres burned yesterday near the Oxbow Lake Nature Preserve, but although the flames were fought near some homes, no evacuations were ordered. There were at least four other major fires around Anne Arundel County yesterday, including a three alarm blaze near Curtis Bay.
And in sports: the Orioles took down the Red Sox in last night's game; the score was 8 to 5. The O's go for a second win in a row tonight in Boston when they play the Red Sox again.