Baltimore County Councilman John Olszewski Sr. is facing criticism for not disclosing work that he did outside the Council since 2009. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will preside over a mass wedding of same sex couples during next month's Baltimore Pride Celebration. Congressman Andy Harris delivered the weekly Republican address over the weekend. MD's fourth casino -- the Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Western Maryland -- will open later this week. Plus: a look at MD's unemployment figures, analysis of Baltimore's "local hiring mandate" legislation, a racial discrimination lawsuit filed against Annapolis, and the "Click It of Ticket" campaign ramps up on the Lower Shore.
Olszewski Calls Failure To Disclose "An Oversight": Baltimore County Councilman John Olszewski Sr says that he made "a mistake" in failing to disclose work he did outside the Council for the last several years. Olszewski has now submitted amended reports; he tells the Baltimore Sun that that not disclosing his work was a "an oversight."
Rawlings-Blake To Preside Over Mass Same-Sex Wedding: Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will be presiding over a mass wedding of same sex couples during next month's Baltimore Pride Celebration. The mass wedding will be taking place the afternoon of June 16th in Druid Hill Park; the Baltimore Sun reports that about a dozen couples have already said they want to take part.
Andy Harris Delivers Weekly Republican Address: Maryland's only Republican representative in Congress delivered his party's weekly address over the weekend. First District congressman Andy Harris used the occasion to argue for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act; Harris says that Obamacare is hurting jobs in America and imposing costly burdens on families and small businesses. This was Harris's first opportunity to deliver the GOP address; the Baltimore Sun notes that the honor is rarely granted outside Republican leadership circles.
Local Hiring Mandate: WYPR's Fraser Smith and Luke Broadwater of the Baltimore Sun talk about the Baltimore City Council's passage of a bill that mandates the hiring of city residents by certain businesses, and why some question its constitutionality. It's this morning's edition of Inside Maryland Politics.
Fourth Casino To Open This Week: Maryland will have four operational casinos by the end of the week. The Baltimore Business Journal reports that the Rocky Gap Casino Resort near Cumberland, in Western Maryland, is scheduled to begin operating on Wednesday. The facility will offer 10 table games and more than 550 slot machines; the Hagerstown Herald Mail notes that it's licensed to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Filed Against Annapolis: Four African-American police officers have filed a federal racial discrimination lawsuit again the city of Annapolis. The Baltimore Sun reports that they claim they have been unfairly harassed, passed over for promotions and wrongly fired. More on the story here from the Capital Gazette.
MD Loses Jobs In April: Maryland lost jobs last month but state's unemployment rate is down. On Friday, the US Labor Department released figures showing that Maryland employers cut 62-hundred jobs in April, while the unemployment rate dropped from 6.6% to 6.5%. Officials tell the Baltimore Sun that the job losses come after four consecutive months of job growth in the state.
Seatbelt Enforcement On The Lower Shore: If you plan on driving to Ocean City this week, make extra certain that you're wearing your seatbelt. Law enforcement agencies on the Lower Shore are launching an zero tolerance campaign on people driving -- or riding -- without buckling up. The Daily Times reports that the enforcement effort will continue through the long Memorial Day weekend.
Baltimore Baseball: the Orioles lost their fifth game in a row yesterday, falling 3 to 1 to the Tampa Bay Rays. The O's take on the New York Yankees this evening at Camden Yards; the game starts at 7:05pm.
Preakness Redux: Horse racing fans will have to wait another year to have a Triple Crown winner. Saturday's running of the Preakness Stakes saw Oxbow, at 15-to-1, upset heavy favorite and Kentucky Derby winner Orb. The more than 117-thousand who attended the Preakness represented the fourth largest turnout in the history of the race. Tougher security this year meant an average five to ten-minute longer wait for fans to get in.