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Monday, December 15, 2014

PG Taxers: 40+ increases not enough, greedy legislators will use any excuse to grab even more

PG 416-15 -- Prince George's - Authority to Impose Fees for Use of Disposable Bags

Sponsor     Senator Pinsky

Synopsis     This bill authorizes Prince George’s County to impose, by law, a fee on a store for the use of disposable bags as part of a retail sale of products

Read bill text in rich-text or PDF format.

School spending priorities--Education vs. legislator's unfunded mandates to benefit special interests

At a time when Prince George's County is running a deficit, and the head of the school system has recently announced spending freezes and cutbacks, legislators are again trying to divert scarce resources away from actual education by forcing Prince George's schools to spend money on expensive and high-maintenance artificial turf. While the pending bill is sponsored by Senators Peters and Miller, the driving force behind this failed bill last year was Del. Jay (Nanny) Walker.

Note that this is only one of several proposed bills that would increase legislative micro-managing of the Prince George's County school system.

PG 407-15 -- Prince George's Board of Education - Public High Schools - Outdoor Synthetic Turf Fields

Sponsor Senator Peters and Senator Miller

Synopsis Pending

Bill Text None Available

PG's Authoritarian Nannies: Nanny Walker proposal banning biodegradable paper bags allows non-grocery plastic bags

Del. Jay (Nanny) Walker's a poorly drafted bill aimed at inconsistently, arbitrarily and capriciously banning selected types of bags received by, and often reused by, most low and middle income consumers would ban biodegradable paper grocery bags while allowing the continued use of many kinds of non-degradable plastic bags.

Why? Do the grocery industry and consumers have less clout than the various special interests that Walker would exempt from his ban?

Note that Walker's bill would permit the use of plastic bags for yard waste despite Prince George's County's recently adopted ban and requirement that yard waste be placed in paper bags.
PG 403-15 -- Prince George's - Authority to Prohibit the Use of Disposable Bags

Sponsor Delegate Walker

Synopsis This bill authorizes Prince George’s County to enact a law that prohibits a store from using disposable bags as part of a retail sale of products. “Disposable bag” means a paper or plastic bag provided by a store to a customer at the point of sale. “Disposable bag” does not include: 1. a durable plastic bag with handles that is at least 2.25 mls thick and is designed and manufactured for multiple reuse; 2. a bag used to: package bulk items, including fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, candy, or small hardware items; contain or wrap frozen foods, meat, or fish, whether prepackaged or not; contain or wrap flowers, potted plants, or other damp items; contain unwrapped prepared foods or bakery goods; and contain a newspaper or dry cleaning; 3. a bag provided by a pharmacist to contain prescription drugs; 4. plastic bags sold in packages containing multiple plastic bags intended for use as garbage, pet waste, or yard waste bags; and 5. a bag that a restaurant provides to a customer to take food or drink away from the restaurant.

Read bill text in rich-text or PDF format

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Updated Prince George's Council Information


Members:
Committees (as of noon, 3 Dec 2014):
  • Public Safety and Fiscal Management (PSFM):
    • Chair, Council Member Obie Patterson; 
    • Vice-Chair, Council Member Andrea Harrison
    • Staff:
      • Frank Porter, Committee Director, (301) 952-3695
        Colette Gresham, Legislative Officer, (301) 952-5434
        Catherine Lynch, Administrative Aide, (301) 952-4195
  • Health, Education and Human Services (HEHS): 
    • Chair, Council Member Karen Toles; 
    • Vice-Chair, Council Member Derrick L. Davis 
    • Staff
      • Sandra Eubanks, Committee Director, (301) 952-5353
      • Leroy Maddox, Legislative Officer. (301) 952-3846
      • Gloria Hall, Administrative Aide, (301) 952-4525
  • Transportation, Housing and Environment (THE): 
    • Chair, Council Member Mary Lehman; 
    • Vice-Chair, Council Member Todd Turner 
    • Staff:
      • Hawi Sanu. Committee Director, (301) 952-3698
      • ??? Todd Turner. Legislative Officer, (301) 952-4116 ???
      • Victoria Middleton, Administrative Aide, (301) 952-3694  
  • Planning, Zoning and Economic Development (PZED): 
    • Chair, Council Member Andrea Harrison; 
    • Vice-Chair, Council Member Dannielle Glaros 
    • Staff: 
      • Jackie Brown, Committee Director, (301) 952-3718
      • Karen Zavakos, Legislative Officer, (301) 952-3435
      • Barbara Stone, Administrative Aide, (301) 952-4199
  • Rules and General Assembly
    • Chair, Council Member Derrick L. Davis; 
    • Vice-Chair, Council Member Todd Turner 
    • Staff:
      • ??? Todd Turner. Legislative Officer, (301) 952-4116 ???
      • Colette Gresham, Legislative Officer, (301) 952-5434
      • Jennifer Jenkins, Committee Staff, (301) 952-3463