Some 30 firearms have been handed over to people with criminal records in Maryland this year; a massive backlog in state police background checks for potential gun buyers is to blame. US Senator Ben Cardin says he’s “deeply troubled” by Russia's decision to grant temporary asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden. Baltimore City Councilman Robert Curran files for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Plus: an appointee to Baltimore City school board who apparently lied on his resume resigns, Gansler presents himself to voters, hundreds of people are dropped from Baltimore’s health care rolls, and more.
Guns Fall Into The Wrong Hands: Dozens of guns have been sold to criminals in Maryland this year – a result of a huge backlog in state police background checks. Police officials tell the Baltimore Sun that Maryland gun dealers have released some 30 firearms to people whose criminal records bar them from owning guns. Background checks in Maryland used to take just a week to complete… but the delays are now stretching up to 100 days because of a massive increase in gun purchase applications. That surge came after last year’s school shooting in Newtown Connecticut and this year’s passage of tough new state gun laws (which are set to take effect in October). Current state law requires that gun dealers wait just seven days before releasing a firearm to a buyer… and while police have asked dealers to wait for the checks to be finished, some are not. Police say an undercover team of troopers has recovered the 30 guns that they are aware of; the people who got them had been convicted of violent crimes and drug offenses, but not of homicide. Police say more than 33-thousand gun purchase applications are currently waiting to be processed… and as the backlog continues, they’re urging gun dealers not to release firearms until background checks are done.
Cardin On Snowden: US Senator Ben Cardin says he's "deeply troubled" by Russia's decision to grant temporary asylum to NSA leaker Edward Snowden. Cardin issued a statement saying, quote, "Had a Russian citizen hacked into computers to gain sensitive national security information, there is no question that they would be in prison."
Curran Files For Bankruptcy: Baltimore City Councilman Robert Curran has filed for personal bankruptcy. His Chapter 13 bankruptcy was made in June; Curran says it was necessary to avoid foreclosure on his Northeast Baltimore home. Yesterday, Curran says he will repay every penny he owes over the next five years; he tells the Baltimore Sun that he thinks the experience will make him a better councilman. Curran has represented Baltimore’s 3rd District on the City Council since 1995. The position pays a little more than 60-thousand dollars a year.
1600+ Lose Baltimore Health Care Coverage: Hundreds of people have been dropped from Baltimore City’s health care rolls. The city says it asked its employees to fill out forms proving the dependents they claimed were legal… and after many workers failed to fill out those forms, more than 16-hundred spouses, children, and others no longer will get city health care coverage. The change will save Baltimore about $6.5-million dollars a year. Critics of the move tell the Baltimore Sun that some workers are being unfairly denied health insurance – and that some workers never got notification that they had to fill out the forms.
Hamilton Resigns: An appointee to Baltimore City school board who apparently lied on his resume has stepped down. Yesterday, Anthony Hamilton submitted his letter of resignation to City Hall. Hamilton claimed he had a master's degree from Johns Hopkins, but the university says it has no record of him. The job of vetting candidates for the city school board is done by the State Board of Education. The Board says it is now investigating Hamilton's application – and says it’s changing its policy, so that in the future it will verify peoples’ educational backgrounds with the schools they say gave them their degrees. The Baltimore Sun notes that this incident marks the second time in four years that a city school board appointee has made inaccurate statements about their educational background.
Ahead Of Announcement, Gansler Sells Himself To Voters: WYPR's Joel McCord and Alexander Pyles of the Daily Record talk about how Attorney General Doug Gansler can use his office to present himself as an appealing gubernatorial candidate to voters. It’s this morning’s edition of Inside Maryland Politics.
Baltimore’s Historic-Property Tax Credits: Baltimore City officials say they’re looking for ways to ease the hit of increasing property tax bills for the city residents who had previously been paying too little. The city says that more than 300 homeowners have been under-billed in recent years, because of “excessively high” tax credits. Those credits were miscalculated by the state’s assessments agency, not the homeowners themselves. The city took over the calculations from the state last year… and now, those credits have been revised upwards, raising bills hundreds or thousands of dollars for those affected. The city’s finance director tells the Baltimore Sun that he’s planning meetings with state officials to explore the available options.
Witness Protection Legislation: Witnesses to crimes in Baltimore may be more likely to come forward under a new federal proposal. The “Witness Security Protection Grant Program Act” – introduced in the US Senate yesterday by Senator Ben Cardin and in the House of Representatives by Congressman Elijah Cummings – would give federal money to local governments to keep witnesses safe. The program would provide $150-million to state and local governments over the next five years, to help establish witness assistance programs.
BWI Runway Upgrades: BWI airport is getting $11.3-million from the federal government to make upgrades to one of its runways – upgrades needed to meet safety standards set by the Federal Aviation Administration. The grant will pay for new grading, pavement rehabilitation, and storm water management. The Baltimore Sun notes that the grant’s part of a larger $350-million project to upgrade all of BWI’s runways.
OSHA Alleges Super Pond Violations: Federal workplace safety regulators are alleging serious violations in the death of a man at the Aberdeen Proving Ground Super Pond site. An army contractor died while performing routine maintenance at the man-made pond in January. He was one of three divers who died in a one month span at the pond site. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, alleges seven serious violations were found, meaning there was a strong probability death or serious harm could come from a hazard which the employer should have known about. There’s more here from the Baltimore Sun.
Baltimore Baseball: the Orioles recorded their 60th win of the season yesterday, taking down the Houston Astros 6 to 3. The O’s kick off a three game set against the Seattle Mariners tonight at Camden Yards; the game starts at 7:05pm.