PG-Politics: News Briefs (Wednesday)

(Posted 18 Jan 2006)

Education

'04 audit finds city schools misspent; System officials say most problems have been corrected

Sun, 18 Jan 2006 (By Sara Neufeld, Sun reporter).
Story is about Baltimore schools, but says a similar audit of Prince George's County Schools is to be released today [18 Jan] and ". . . audits of both school systems will be the subject of hearing in Annapolis tomorrow [19 Jan]. . . ."

Principal of Pr. George's School Replaced

Post, 18 Jan 2006 (Metro in brief).

Prince George's County school officials named a new leader for Bladensburg High School yesterday in a shake-up intended to stabilize a campus that has been the scene of a high number of student fights and other security incidents. . . . In December, 10 students were arrested at Bladensburg High one week after a spate of incidents. . . .

Politicians quoted

Group homes office created; New state agency to monitor programs for troubled youths

Sun, 18 Jan 2006 (by Jonathan D. Rockoff, Sun Reporter).

The Maryland Cabinet official in charge of child welfare established yesterday a separate office directly under his authority to license and monitor 200 privately run group homes for troubled youths.
[. . .]
Sen. Ulysses Currie, a Prince George's County Democrat who is chairman of the Budget and Taxation Committee, called yesterday's appointment a good first step but said it isn't enough because state agencies other than the DHR license and monitor group homes.

Currie has been urging the Ehrlich administration to consolidate group home oversight in a single state agency.

Md. Senate overrides Ehrlich's veto of minimum wage hike; Republicans: Action will harm small businesses

Gazette, 18 Jan 2006 (by Anna Bailey, Examiner Staff Writer).

. . . "Absent leadership on that level, the states are increasingly taking responsibility and passing this," said Del. Dereck Davis, D-Prince George's, the lead sponsor of the increase in the House. . . .

Bills Introduced. General Assembly bills specific to Prince George's County, including pork bills (selected other bills introduced by county legislators will be covered separately).