Thursday, April 4, 2013
The 28-19 vote helps Gov. Martin O'Malley's top legislative priority avoid a conference committee some believed would kill the legislation.
Maryland senators voted Thursday night to approve an amended gun control bill rather than send the legislation to conference committee. Senators approved the bill by a vote of 28-19 just one day after the House debated the bill for 10 hours over two-days and added 17 amendments to a bill previously approved by the Senate. The bill was a major component of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s legislative priorities for the 90-day legislative session. “The fact is, the Firearm Safety Act of 2013 provides no safety,” said Sen. EJ Pipkin, Senate Minority Leader. The concurrence means that the bill goes to Gov. Martin O’Malley for his signature rather than to a conference committee with just four days left in the session. Sen. Brian Frosh, a Montgomery …
Friday, March 29, 2013
The bill that increases the gasoline tax by as much as 20 cents by 2016 now heads to Gov. Martin O'Malley for his signature.
A tax that will increase the cost of gas by as much as 20 cents by 2016 was given final approval Friday by the Maryland Senate. The bill passed largely along party lines by a vote of 27-20. Eight Democrats joined all 12 Republicans in opposing the tax increase measure. The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is expected to sign the tax into law. The final vote came after legislators suspended the rules, allowing them to take both a preliminary and final vote in the same day and allow many lawmakers to leave the capital to observe Good Friday. The bill increases the state's tax on gas by more than 20 cents to 43.7 cents per gallon on July 2016. The tax would increase to 44.6 cents per gallon if the federal government …
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The governor's seventh State of the State address is seen by many as a prelude to an expected run for president in 2016.
Gov. Martin O'Malley Wednesday urged lawmakers to pass his offshore wind bill and find more money for transportation projects—though he offered no details on a gas tax initiative. In his seventh State of the State speech, the Democratic governor also used his 35-minute address to remind legislators of what he sees as his major accomplishments since taking office in 2007. In many ways, the speech seemed to lay the groundwork for what many expect will be a run for President in 2016. Choice was a major theme in O'Malley's speech. "Better choices. Better results. The proof is in our progress," O'Malley said. [Read O'Malley's speech as prepared or watch it.] O'Malley's Legislative Wish List On the top of O'Malley's wish list are the passage of …
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Senate President's plan would raise $300 million through a sales tax on gasoline and would allow local governments to impose a 5 cent tax.
UPDATED (5:39 p.m.)—Maryland could raise $300 million for transportation projects under a plan proposed by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller. Miller's plan calls for a 3 percent tax on the wholesale price of gas. That tax would be in addition to the 23.5 cents per gallon drivers already pay in Maryland. "Everybody is going to pay a gas tax," Miller said of his proposal. The additional tax would raise up to $300 million in additional funds, Miller said. The proposal would allow local jurisdictions to impose up to a 5 cents per gallon tax for local transportation projects. Miller said the idea is to let counties with specific transportation needs assess a tax to pay for those needs. "They would be able to meet the needs by the votes of …
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Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Maryland State Sen. E.J. Pipkin thanked his colleagues in a post on his Facebook page Tuesday.
Cecil County State Sen. E.J. Pipkin will serve as the Maryland Senate minority leader for a second term, he announced Tuesday. Pipkin, a Republican, posted the news on his personal Facebook page, writing: "Thanks to the Maryland Senate Republicans for reelecting me as the Maryland Senate Minority Leader!" Pipkin, 56, was first elected in 2002, representing the 36th district—including Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne's counties. He was elected minority leader in 2011. The Elkton resident has been a staunch defender of the Eastern Shore and an advocate against what he has calls "a war on rural Maryland." He made statewide news last year, when he claimed the special session violated the Maryland Constitution. “The state is bleeding jobs …
Friday, July 27, 2012
O'Malley says session, which begins on August 9, will be about job creation and funding for schools.
UPDATED (2:57 p.m.)—Gov. Martin O'Malley Friday announced he will call the General Assembly back to Annapolis for a special session on the issues of gambling and the creation of a sixth casino. "This is an issue about jobs," O'Malley said. "This is an issue about maximizing revenues from gaming." A bill was not available at the time of the morning news conference. O'Malley said it needed tweaking and would likely be made public shortly before the beginning of the special session. O'Malley, House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller all said the bill would create about 2,500 jobs from the legalization of table games and generate $100 million for schools. Sen. E.J. Pipkin Friday afternoon blasted O'Malley for …
Deborah A Cox
3:32 pm on Sunday, April 14, 2013
In the end the only ones that will have guns are bad guys cause they already break the law. The good people of this state will not be able to protect themselves police cannot live in our home and go every where with us. So I remain scared to death. more ›