Recent Prince George's County News (6 & 7 Mar 2010)

• Post: Remember them in November (Editorial) http://bit.ly/cFf5py (MD delgates kill a bill aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence)
  
  • Post: Remember them in November: PG Del. voting to kill the bill: Barnes. D-21; Levi, D-23A; Raimrez, D-47; FOR the bill: Valderrama, D-26
• PrinceGeorgian: Prince George's County at odds with itself works through a political appointment http://bit.ly/9KolEx
• rt @marylandmoment Report: O'Malley is no longer a 'safe' reelection bet: MD Gov. O'Malley's reelection prospects ... http://bit.ly/aVzBBF 
• rt @Tamara4Dist9 Join me at Gov's press conf. on home foreclosure mediation bill Mar 15, 10am, @ Ebenezer AME Church, 7707 Allentown Rd 
• rt @Charles_Lollar Today is the big fundraiser at Toots ... http://bit.ly/bkdzMr 
• rt @badast_turtles UM students an embarrassment: Since when is "Hell Night 101" one of the course offerings at the Uni. http://bit.ly/bgdGNt
• rt @kidjk 2/3rds don't care about Baker's financing problems - http://tinyurl.com/y8rrh4f 
• rt @TomDernoga Learning more about using twitter on the run 
• OneOldVet: PG County: White Open-Borders Activists Accuse Anti-Amnesty Black Group of Being Like the Klan http://bit.ly/9HCsfY
• Post: Maryland's bid to cash in on slots casinos in peril; Program expected to bring in less than half of revenue est.. http://bit.ly/afLYzI 
• Post: Latinos anxious over end of school liaisons in Pr. George's http://bit.ly/b1041Z

Three PG delegates vote to kill a bill aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence

Remember them in November.
Post, 7 Mar 2010 (Editorial).

AS EXPECTED, the Maryland House Judiciary Committee wrongly killed a bill on Thursday that would have made it easier for victims of domestic violence to obtain protective orders. H.B. 700 would have brought Maryland into conformance with the practices of every other state in the country. As an election-year service to voters, here is the 15 to 6 vote:

Chairman Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Prince George's) did not vote, as is the general practice.

Against: Curtis S. Anderson (D-Baltimore), Benjamin S. Barnes (D-Prince George's), Jill P. Carter (D-Baltimore), Frank M. Conaway Jr. (D-Baltimore), Donald H. Dwyer Jr. (R-Anne Arundel), William J. Frank (R-Baltimore County), J.B. Jennings (R-Baltimore County), Kevin Kelly (D-Allegany), Gerron S. Levi (D-Prince George's), Tony McConkey (R-Anne Arundel), Victor R. Ramirez (D-Prince George's), Samuel I. Rosenberg (D-Baltimore), Todd L. Schuler (D-Baltimore County), Luiz R.S. Simmons (D-Montgomery) and Michael D. Smigiel Sr. (R-Cecil).

For: Kathleen M. Dumais (D-Montgomery), Benjamin F. Kramer (D-Montgomery), Susan C. Lee (D-Montgomery), Susan McComas (R-Harford), Kriselda Valderrama (D-Prince George's) and Jeffrey D. Waldstreicher (D-Montgomery).

Note that county executive candidate Gerron S. Levi was among those voting against victims of domestic violence.

PG Porkers (Del. Walker, V. Turner, & Valderrama)

Maryland has a fiscal crisis with a huge deficit looming despite the huge 2007 tax increase. But Tax and Spend Delegates Jay Walker (D-26), Veronica Turner (D-26), and Kriselda Valderrama (D-26), who voted for the tax increase, want to spend even more of the money we don't have on non-essential, non-state government frills instead of maintaining essential state services like education and public safety. How many more state employees will be laid off or furloughed to help buy votes for these delegates?

HB 535 , Creation of a State Debt - Prince George's County - YMCA Potomac Overlook ($200,000)

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(Posted 5 Feb 2009)

Victim of Botched Pr. Geo.'s Raid Pushes SWAT Bill

Victim of Botched Pr. Geo.'s Raid Pushes SWAT Bill.
Maryland Moment, 4 Feb 2009 (Helderman ).

Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo is in Annapolis today, advocating for legislation he helped craft that require state police agencies to issue monthly reports about their use of SWAT teams. . . . (The Post's magazine examined this story in a recent issue; Calvo and April Witt, the story's author, also did a live Q&A with readers on Feb. 2.) . . . The bill, which is being sponsored by Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's) in the senate and Del. Kris Valderrama (D-Prince George's) in the House of Delegates . . . [Full report]

Bill Calls for More Scrutiny Of SWAT Teams by Police.
Post, 5 Feb 2009 (Helderman).

Calvo joins legislators calling for SWAT reports; Bill would require information on operation deployments.
Gazette, 5 Feb 2009 (Schuman).

. . . The bill, introduced by Maryland Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Dist. 26) of Fort Washington, Delegate Kris Valderrama (D-Dist. 26) of Fort Washington, Sen. Brian Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Chevy Chase and Delegate Victor Ramirez (D-Dist. 47) of Cheverly, would require state law enforcement agencies to send monthly reports to the attorney general and their local governing bodies on the number, purpose, authorization, location and results of SWAT team deployments. . . .

Victim of police raid pushes for reporting on use of SWAT teams.
Examiner, 4 Feb 2009 (Tuccille).

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SB 447 [House bill information not currently online]

PG Sponsors:
Senators Muse and Peters

Entitled: Public Safety - SWAT Team Activation and Deployment - Reports

Synopsis:

Requiring the Police Training Commission, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, to develop a standardized format that specified law enforcement agencies shall use in reporting specified data relating to the activation and deployment of specified SWAT teams to the Office of the Attorney General and specified local officials; requiring, on a monthly basis beginning January 1, 2010, a law enforcement agency that maintains a SWAT team to make specified reports to the Office of the Attorney General; etc.

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(Updated 5 Feb 2009)

Prince George's Nannies: Legislators out to control our lives

(Posted 29 Jan 2009)

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HB 238

PG Sponsors: Delegates Holmes, Ross, Valderrama, and Walker

Entitled: Cigars - Sales of Less Than Four Per Package - Prohibited

Synopsis:

Prohibiting specified retailers from purchasing from manufacturers or wholesalers, or selling, reselling, distributing, dispensing, or giving away to a person, a package of cigars containing less than four cigars; prohibiting specified wholesalers from selling, reselling, distributing, dispensing, or giving away to a person a package of cigars containing less than four cigars; etc.

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HB 248
PG Sponsors: Delegates Niemann and Frush.

Entitled: Task Force to Study Required Deposits on Returnable Beverage Containers

Synopsis:

Establishing the Task Force to Study Required Deposits on Returnable Beverage Containers in the State; providing for the membership of the Task Force; requiring the Task Force to study specified issues relevant to requiring deposits on returnable beverage containers in the State; requiring the Task Force to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 31, 2009; providing for the staff of the Task Force; providing for the termination of the Act; etc.

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SB 344

Sponsored By: Senator Exum

Entitled: Prince George's County - Alcoholic Beverages - Drive-Through Purchase Facilities

Synopsis:

Prohibiting the Board of License Commissioners in Prince George's County from issuing a new alcoholic beverages license on or after July 1, 2009, for use in a drive-through purchase facility in which alcoholic beverages are sold at retail and dispensed through a door or window to purchasers in or on a motor vehicle; applying the Act prospectively; etc.

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SB 353

PG Sponsors: Senators Currie and Peters

Entitled: Task Force on Public Health Risks Linked to Bullying

Synopsis:

Creating the Task Force on Public Health Risks Linked to Bullying; providing for the composition, chair and subcommittee chairs, and staffing of the Task Force; providing that a member of the Task Force may not receive compensation but may be reimbursed for specified expenses; requiring the Task Force to conduct specified hearings, review specified data and studies, and develop specified guidelines or make specified recommendations; etc.

PG Nannies: Tyranical legislators out to control our lives

(Posted 28 Jan 2009)

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HB 187 (Bicycle helmets)

PG Sponsors: Delegates Niemann and Valderrama.

Entitled: Vehicle Laws - Bicycles and Motor Scooters - Protective Headgear

Synopsis: [Not online]

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SB 288

PG Sponsors: Senators Harrington and Muse

Entitled: Vehicle Laws - Prohibition Against Smoking in Vehicle Containing Young Child

Synopsis:

Prohibiting a driver of a motor vehicle in which a person who is under the age of 8 is a passenger from smoking a tobacco product or allowing a passenger to smoke in the motor vehicle; establishing a $50 fine for a violation of the Act; etc.

Slots at Rosecroft (Seeking comments from our elected officials)

(Updated 5 Nov 2007)

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Sent to:

• Councilman Tony Knotts (D-8) Bio | E-Mail | 301-952-3860, Fax: 301-952-4821
  
• Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-26) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3092, Fax: 301-858-3410.
• Del. Veronica Turner (D-26) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3212, Fax: 301-858-3105.
• Del. Kriselda Valderrama (D-26) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3210, Fax: 301-858-3339.
• Del. Jay Walker (D-26) Bio | E-Mail | 301-858-3581, Fax: 301-858-3403.

A recent poll commissioned by Penn National Gaming, new owners of Rosecroft Raceway, suggest that over 60% of the people living in the area around Rosecroft support allowing slot machines there.

I've searched the local newspapers, and web sites of local broadcast news outlets, looking for a reaction from you, the elected representatives from the Rosecroft area, and can't find any coverage of your reactions.

Believing that we are not being well-served by the media, I'll make this offer:

If you have a public statement on the results of this poll, or on whether Rosecroft is an appropriate venue for slots, send it to me and I will post it verbatim, without comment, on my blog and send it out to several mailing lists concerned with political issues in Prince George's County.

Responses:

• Councilman Tony Knotts (D-8):
  
• None.
• Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-26):
  
• None.
  
• Del. Veronica Turner (D-26):
  
• None.
• Del. Kriselda Valderrama (D-26):
  
• None.
• Del. Jay Walker (D-26):
  

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  To: dcrussell@gmail.com
  Date: Nov 5, 2007 10:36 am
  Subject: Undeliverable mail
  
  User mailbox exceeds allowed size: jay.walker@mail.state.md.us
  

Slots & Taxes: Legislators ignored by the press (comment & offer)

(Posted 24 Oct 2007)

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In anticipation of the coming special session of the General Assembly, called for the purpose of imposing upon us the largest tax increase in Maryland history, I've been following press reports of what Prince George's County legislators have been saying about increasing taxes or approving slot machines. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

As would be expected, almost every press report on these issues has quoted General Assembly leaders Sen. Thomas V. 'Mike' Miller and Del. Michael Busch. But when it comes to quoting other members of the General Assembly, most reports have ignored delegates and senators from Prince George's County and focused on members from Montgomery County and other jurisdictions, often quoting the same members repeatedly, rather than seeking out a wider variety of members.

In recent days, a couple of the smaller weeklies that concentrate on the northern part of the county have partially covered the opinions of some members from districts 21, 22, 23, and 47, but there have been almost no reports of quotations or opinions of members from the central and southern parts of the county.

And the daily newspapers and broadcast media have virtually ignored all of the members from Prince George's Count, except for Sen. Miller.

Prince George's County members whose opinions on the special session and slots and taxes have gone unreported appear to include:

• District 22:
  
• Del. Anne Healey (D-22) Bio & Phone | E-mail
• District 23A:
  
• Del. Gerron S. Levi (D-23A) Bio & Phone | E-mail
  
• District 24:
  
• Sen. Nathaniel Exum (D-24) Bio & Phone | E-mail
• Del. Carolyn J. B. Howard (D-24) Bio & Phone | E-mail
• Del. Michael L. Vaughn (D-24) Bio & Phone | E-mail
  
• District 25:
  
• Del. Meloney G. Griffith (D-25) Bio & Phone | E-mail
  
• District 26:
  
• Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-26) Bio & Phone | E-mail
• Del. Veronica Turner (D-26) Bio & Phone | E-mail
  
• Del. Kris Valderrama (D-26) Bio & Phone | E-mail
  
• Del. Jay Walker (D-26) Bio & Phone | E-mail
• District 27 A:
  
• Del. James E. Proctor, Jr. (D-27A) Bio & Phone | E-mail
  
• Del. Joseph F. Vallario, Jr. (D-27A) Bio & Phone | E-mail
  
• District 47:
  
• Sen. Gwendolyn Britt (D-47) Bio & Phone | E-mail
• Del. Victor Ramirez (D-47) Bio & Phone | E-mail
  

Offer to General Assembly members: I would like to know where our legislators stand on both slot machines and on Gov. O'Malley's list of specific tax increases. Since the local news media won't tell us what they think, I will be happy to post any responses, position papers, or press releases here, just e-mail them to dcrussell@gmail.com. Depending on the response, I will considering posting a summary table showing the positions of all county members.

PG Delegates sponsor vill to let more criminals vote

(Posted 31 Jan 2007)

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House Bill 273, Voting Rights Restoration - Ex-Offenders, 31 Jan 2007

Sponsored By:

Delegates Braveboy (25), Barnes (21), Benson (24), Davis (25), Frush (21), Gaines (22), Griffith (25), Healey (22), Holmes (23B), Howard (24), Hubbard (23A), Ivey (47), Pena-Melnyk (21), Proctor (27A), Ramirez (47), Ross (22), Valderrama (26), and Vaughn (24)