JuiceBlender: Death Penalty Repeal Has Enough Votes, Prince George's Aims to Copyright Kids' Book Reports, Tea Party Sanity

PLUS: Chamber of Commerce Under Fire for Opposing Increase to $7.25/Hour Minimum Wage

Below Maryland Juice highlights updates on several hot-button legislative fights going on in Annapolis:

JUICE#1: MARYLAND DEATH PENALTY REPEAL HAS ENOUGH VOTES TO PASS // SENATORS JOHN ASTLE & RON YOUNG EXPLAIN THEMSELVES - Maryland Juice caught exciting updates on Maryland's death penalty repeal effort in The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun this week. The two papers reported that State Senators John Astle and Ron Young decided to back death penalty repeal, thereby giving the effort enough support to pass a floor vote in the State Senate (excerpts below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Proponents of repeal of the death penalty have picked up a potentially pivotal vote in the Senate with the decision of Sen. Ronald N. Young of Frederick County to support an end to executions in Maryland....

Young narrowly won election in 2010 in a district that previously sent a conservative Republican to the Senate.  But he said he wasn't concerned about political fallous from his vote.

"My district's not as conservative as some people think it is," he said. "If it's a moral issue. I vote the way I think is right...."

The Washington Post highlighted Sen. John Astle's reasons for supporting repeal of the death penalty, and they also included a full accounting of the twenty-five Senators who we can thank for finally making murder by state employees illegal in Maryland:

WASHINGTON POST: Two more Maryland senators have said they will support a bill to abolish capital punishment, giving the measure backed by Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) more than enough expected votes to clear the chamber.

Sen. John C. Astle (D-Anne Arundel) said in an interview with The Post on Monday that he plans to vote in favor of repealing Maryland’s death penalty. And Sen. Ronald N. Young (D-Frederick) also plans to vote for repeal, The Baltimore Sun reported Monday....

Astle, who is planning to run for re-election next year, said he wasn’t sure how his stance on capital punishment would affect his prospects.

"I’m going to be 70 years old in two months," he said. "If I can’t say what I believe and vote the way I believe, then what good am I?"

Maryland Senate Supporters of Death Penalty Repeal (via Washington Post)

1. John Astle (D-Anne Arundel)
2. Joanne Benson (D-Prince George’s)
3. Joan Carter Conway (D-Baltimore)
4. Ulysses Currie (D-Prince George’s)
5. James DeGrange Sr. (D-Anne Arundel)
6. Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore)
7. Jennie Forehand (D-Montgomery)
8. Brian  Frosh (D-Montgomery)
9. Lisa Gladden(D-Baltimore)
10. Verna Jones-Rodwell (D-Baltimore)
11. Delores Kelley (D-Baltimore County)
12. Nancy King (D-Montgomery)
13. Richard Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery)
14. Roger P. Manno (D-Montgomery)
15. Nathaniel J. McFadden (D-Baltimore)
16. Karen Montgomery (D-Montgomery)
17. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George’s)
18. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Prince George’s)
19. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George’s)
20. Catherine Pugh (D-Baltimore)
21. Victor Ramirez (D-Prince George’s)
22. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery)
23. Edward Reilly (R-Anne Arundel)
24. Jim Rosapepe (D-Prince George’s)
25. Ronald Young (D-Frederick)

WE'RE NOT THERE YET // ATTEND A PUBLIC HEARING ON VALENTINE'S DAY - Even though the votes are lining up in the Maryland Senate, there's still a lot of game left in this fight. Maryland Citizens Against State Executions is asking supporters to flood the state legislature for public hearings on Valentine's Day, February 14th:

MD CASE: On February 14 two important hearings will happen on the bill to abolish Maryland's death penalty. We need to fill both rooms (simultaneously) to show the legislators how important it is that death penalty repeal happen THIS YEAR!

Governor Martin O'Malley is expected to lead off the testimony in both houses, so there will be lots of press, and lots of energy and excitement.

We hope you can be there to witness history in the making!

When: 1PM, Thursday Feb. 14  (arrive by 12:30 to get through security)

Where: Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee hearing room
2 East Miller Senate Building, 11 Bladen Street,
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991

or

House Judiciary Committee hearing room
Room 100, House Office Building, 6 Bladen Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-1991

Parking: Parking is hard to come by in Annapolis; we advise using Gott's Court Parking Garage, 25 Calvert St., Annapolis, MD 21401. Cost will be around $11.00.

Have questions? Contact our office at 301-779-5230 or email us at info@mdcase.org.  

JUICE#2: PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD TRYING TO CLAIM OWNERSHIP OF COPYRIGHTS FOR STUDENT ART AND BOOK REPORTS - The Washington Post recently raised red flags about an alarming proposal being debated at the Prince George's County Board of Education. Apparently the school system is seriously thinking about trying to claim they own the copyright to things including school children's art and book reports (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: A proposal by the Prince George’s County Board of Education to copyright work created by staff and students for school could mean that a picture drawn by a first-grader, a lesson plan developed by a teacher or an app created by a teen would belong to the school system, not the individual.

The measure has some worried that by the system claiming ownership to the work of others, creativity could be stifled and there would be little incentive to come up with innovative ways to educate students. Some have questioned the legality of the proposal as it relates to students.

"There is something inherently wrong with that," David Cahn, an education activist who regularly attends county school board meetings, said before the board’s vote to consider the policy....

After having fought greedy copyright trolls in Congress and also having them attack this blog, I can personally attest to the rampant abuse of the spirit of copyright law today. I seriously hope the Prince George's school board members reject this ridiculous proposal. What kind of a lesson are we trying to teach our kids? P.S. Some folks I know have started a website to petition against this effort: www.DontCopyrightMe.com

JUICE#3: OMG, MARYLAND JUICE SUPPORTS LEGISLATION SPONSORED BY TEA PARTIERS // WHERE IS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ON CIVIL LIBERTIES? -  They say a stopped watch is still correct twice a day, and on certain civil liberties that saying may apply to the Tea Party. Maryland Juice recently stumbled upon legislation (HB558) being sponsored by Tea Party members that I actually support. Drunk-boating, anti-gay lawmaker Don Dwyer and a handful of Republican Delegates are sponsoring the "Maryland Liberty Preservation Act of 2013" which would prohibit state agencies and employees from aiding the United States in detaining people under the National Defense Authorization Act. Specifically, the lawmakers appear to be attempting to protect Marylanders from being unconstitutionally detained without trail by the Feds:

ACLU CALLS INDEFINITE DETENTION OF CITIZENS UNCONSTITUTIONAL: As we have previously noted, Democrats in Congress have been continuing high profile Bush/Ashcroft-era assaults on civil liberties under the well-worn and vague justification of fighting terrorism. The group of Maryland Republicans are specifically protesting the U.S. government's claims that it can indefinitely detain citizens without trial, and they are trying to prohibit our state from participating. The ACLU thinks the U.S. government's actions are unconstitutional:

ACLU:  In December 2011, President Obama signed the 2012 NDAA, codifying indefinite military detention without charge or trial into law for the first time in American history. The NDAA's dangerous detention provisions would authorize the president - and all future presidents - to order the military to pick up and indefinitely imprison people captured anywhere in the world, far from any battlefield. The ACLU will fight worldwide detention authority wherever we can, be it in court, in Congress, or internationally.

Under the Bush administration, similar claims of worldwide detention authority were used to hold even a U.S. citizen detained on U.S. soil in military custody, and many in Congress now assert that the NDAA should be used in the same way again. The ACLU believes that any military detention of American citizens or others within the United States is unconstitutional and illegal, including under the NDAA. In addition, the breadth of the NDAA’s detention authority violates international law because it is not limited to people captured in the context of an actual armed conflict as required by the laws of war....

CONGRESS GUTS EFFORTS TO BAN INDEFINITE DETENTION OF U.S. CITIZENS WITHOUT TRIAL - The Huffington Post reported that last December, Senator Diane Feinstein tried to fix this assault on our constitutional rights, but the effort was gutted and watered-down in typical Congressional fashion (excerpt below):

HUFFINGTON POST: Congress stripped a provision Tuesday from a defense bill that aimed to shield Americans from the possibility of being imprisoned indefinitely without trial by the military. The provision was replaced with a passage that appears to give citizens little protection from indefinite detention.

The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 was added by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), but there was no similar language in the version of the bill that passed the House, and it was dumped from the final bill released Tuesday after a conference committee from both chambers worked out a unified measure.

It declared that "An authorization to use military force, a declaration of war, or any similar authority shall not authorize the detention without charge or trial of a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States apprehended in the United States, unless an Act of Congress expressly authorizes such detention...."

The new provision appears to do little, because the Supreme Court has already declared that the writ of habeas corpus -- requiring that someone be presented to a judge -- applies to all people. The more difficult part of whether people deserve a trial remains unsettled, and the new provision does not appear to resolve it....

WHEREFORE ART THOU DEMOCRATIC CIVIL LIBERTARIANS? // REJECT JOHN BRENNAN AS CIA CHIEF - Meanwhile, Obama has also nominated a CIA chief (John Brennan) who believes that the U.S. government has the right to kill American citizens in drone strikes, with the flimsiest of evidence:

DANA MILBANK (VIA WASHINGTON POST): Brennan is the architect of the drone warfare program, an extraordinary assertion of the executive’s powers. In this new, hidden warfare, unelected officials, without the blessing of a court, or anything else, order killings of suspected terrorists - even American citizens, perhaps on U.S. soil.

It’s an expansion of presidential authority crying out for congressional oversight, and this week was the Senate’s big chance to explore in public the policy of targeted killing using unmanned aircraft. But the only drones in evidence Thursday afternoon at Brennan’s confirmation hearing were the lawmakers on the dais. 

Did the Democratic protection of civil liberties end with Sen. Russ Feingold's departure from the Senate? It seems increasingly true that the libertarian right is far more vocal about protecting individual liberties than my fellow Democrats. Things that make you go hmm.


JUICE#4: MARYLAND JUICE OFFERS $30 REWARD FOR A MIKE MILLER 3D STATUE - Bryan Sears at the Towson Patch reported yesterday that legislators in Annapolis had the opportunity to witness a demonstration of 3D printing technology by making small statues of State Senators. Sears also noted that Maryland Juice was interested in acquiring a Mike Miller statue (seriously, I am interested!):

PATCH: It's not a statue in front of the office building that bares his name but Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller did receive a bust of himself this week courtesy of the Regional Manufacturing Institute....

The technology is similar to what was used in a scene of Jurassic Park 3 where a copy of a velociraptor's larynx was recreated. The institute offered legislators in Annapolis the opportunity to have themselves scanned into a computer and get busts of themselves....

David Moon at Maryland Juice issued a $30 reward for anyone who could procure him a bust of the Senate president. No word on if he's landed one.....

REWARD IF FOUND: If you are one of the owners of a rare Mike Miller 3D statue, I am offering a $30 bounty: david@marylandjuice.com.


JUICE#5: ADVOCATES FOR MINIMUM WAGE HIKE CHALLENGE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHIEF TO TRY LIVING ON $7.25/HOUR - The Baltimore Business Journal reports that advocates of a minimum wage are challenging the head of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce to actually try living on the current $7.25/hour rate (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE BUSINESS JOURNAL: Raise Maryland, a group supporting an increase in Maryland’s minimum wage, wants Kathleen Snyder, CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, to spend a day living as a minimum-wage worker.

The Chamber opposes the concept of raising the hourly minimum wage in Maryland from the current $7.25 an hour, said Mathew Palmer, a lobbyist for the Chamber....

Raise Maryland said Snyder should spend a day riding public transportation to work, bringing her lunch to work and buying clothes and other necessities on layaway, as minimum-wage workers do, according to a statement from the organization....

Nineteen states and Washington, D.C., have higher minimum wages than Maryland, said Matthew Hanson, campaign coordinator for Raise Maryland.

Maryland Juice also noticed a photo on @RaiseMaryland's Twitter feed showing them protesting for a minimum wage hike outside of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce office:

SCANNED DOCS: Students Produce "Young Apple Ballot" for MoCo School Board Races // PLUS: Read Candidate Literature

MoCo students advocate for a styrofoam ban at a recent youth town hall meeting.

MOCO STUDENTS GET POLITICAL OVER THE ENVIRONMENT: Maryland Juice picked up a number of pieces of literature at a Montgomery County Board of Education debate last night. But the most interesting flyer I grabbed was a "Young Apple Ballot" endorsement card produced by a group called "The Young Activist Club." The student-led movement has been trying for years to persuade Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to eliminate environmentally unfriendly styrofoam trays from use in school cafeterias. Specifically, they have been trying to get permission to launch a pilot program at Piney Branch Elementary School (which happens to be about four blocks from my house). After their efforts were rejected the last few years, the young activists-in-training are now getting political. Below you can read a scan of their new endorsement card, along with some background information from their website (excerpt below):

YOUNG ACTIVIST CLUB: We want to replace the wasteful and toxic polystyrene lunch trays at Piney Branch Elementary School with 350 durable lunch trays and a tray washer (also called a ware washer).   Once the ware washer is installed, we want to track the costs and benefits of moving away from disposables and toward reusables.   We want this project to be a test or pilot for the county school district and then, if successful, a model for other schools anywhere in the country.

Money Raised to Date:  We have raised $10,115 to pay for a rebuilt dish washer and durable reusable trays to replace the disposable polystyrene lunch trays.

Status:  Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) administrators have denied our request to proceed with a pilot project.  In a December 23rd, 2010 memo to the MCPS Board of Education, then School Superintendent Jerry Weast cited cost reasons for his opposition to the project.  His staff continue to insist we need a $27,000 new ware washer, that installation costs are a whopping $12,000 (not true), and that two staff are needed to operate a ware washer in Maryland (also not true).... We will continue to appeal the decision and to present evidence justifying the merits of our pilot project which will save MCPS money during its operation, not cost money.  We are now asking new Superintendent Joshua Staff to meet with us so we can discuss the benefits of our project and seek his support to move forward.

Their website also contains a voter guide for this year's Board of Education races:

Board of Ed Candidates Who Support Healthy Schools and Our Dishwasher Project:

Annita Seckinger - District 4
Fred Evans - District 2
Rebecca Smondrowski - District 2
Morris Panner - At Large

Current Board of Ed Members Seeking Re-Election Who DO NOT Support Our Project:

Christopher Barclay - District 4
Philip Kauffman - At Large

Don't Forget to Vote!

Below you can see the literature they were handing out at the school board debate:
"Young Apple Ballot" from Moco Students Activists

BOARD OF EDUCATION CANDIDATE LITERATURE: Maryland Juice also picked up a few pieces of literature that the school board candidates were handing out. Unfortunately, I did not see pieces from all of the candidates. Note that all Montgomery County voters will get to vote for candidates in all three school board races:

• DISTRICT 2:  Fred Evans vs. Rebecca Smondrowski
• DISTRICT 4: Chris Barclay vs. Annita Seckinger
• AT-LARGE: Phil Kauffman vs. Morris Panner

4,000 Supporters for Later Start Time at Montgomery County Schools // PLUS: School Board Candidates & Experts Weigh In

Earlier this week, Maryland Juice reported on a fascinating movement for a later start to high school times in Montgomery County. School currently starts at 7:20 am (and did going back to when I was an MCPS student in the 90's), but parents, scientists and students want the time pushed back to 8:15 am or later. They cite numerous studies indicating positive health effects and a better learning environment from a later start time, given the natural biological clocks and rhythms of adolescents. The viral petition effort is now nearing 4,000 supporters, and politicians are beginning to weigh in. In fact, this article was easily the most-read blog post at Maryland Juice this week, garnering several hundred pageviews. See what the fuss is all about below.

BOARD OF EDUCATION CANDIDATES WEIGH IN ON LATER START TO SCHOOL: We asked all six candidates for the Montgomery County Board of Education to respond with their thoughts on the issue, and so far we have only received two comments:

• At-large school board candidate Morris Panner says, "As a parent, it certainly makes a great deal of sense.  I am reading the studies about the benefits and am impressed."
• District 2 school board candidate Fred Evans responded, "I believe it is worth studying."

Even more interesting, is that Maryland Juice found District 4 school board candidate Annita Seckinger's name on the petition. She was signer number 3598. You can ask the Board of Education candidates about this issue at two upcoming debates (see below). The candidates' email addresses are also available online.

Wednesday October 24, 2012 6:45pm to 9pm	Board of Education Candidates Forum Phil Kauffman Morris Panner Fred Evans Rebecca Smondrowski Chris Barclay Annita Seckinger	Progressive Neighbors State Delegate Bonnie Cullison Sharon Dooley Marva Deskins	Takoma Park Presbyterian Church Assembly Hall 310 Tulip Ave (at Maple St) Takoma Park
Monday October 29, 2012 6:15pm to 7:45pm	Board of Education Candidates Forum Phil Kauffman Morris Panner Fred Evans Rebecca Smondrowski Chris Barclay Annita Seckinger	League of Women Voters of Montgomery County and American Association of University Women	Wheaton Library 11701 Georgia Avenue

GOOD JOB, MOCO: In fact, Maryland Juice has had great fun reading through the dozens of comments from supporters of a later start time for high school. Poring through the numerous intelligent and insightful petition responses has reminded me of the unique blend of wonkiness and civic activism we often see in MoCo. In fact, by my estimation, the last time we've seen this much policy interest from ordinary residents was when County Executive Ike Leggett proposed a comically superstitious youth curfew in the midst of a historic crime decline.

Perhaps Montgomery County residents, who have one of the nation's highest concentrations of post-graduate degrees, have a greater expectation of policy grounded in evidence than in other jurisdictions? Below I highlight a sampling of noteworthy comments from petition signers:

[  SIGN THE PETITION TO START HIGH SCHOOL AFTER 8:15 AM  ]

COMMENTS FROM INSIDERS:

• Patrick Leanza, Silver Spring, MD: As an ex-school board member I know how difficult this is but it really is worth the effort. The problem of extra-curricular activities and sports is real so at least consider the winter and spring seasons.
• Oren, Silver Spring, MD: As a former PTA president I strongly support a later start to the school day.

COMMENTS FROM RATIONALISTS & WONKS:

• Laurie, Silver Spring, MD: This is a data driven school system: ACT on the DATA! 
• Michael, Wheaton, MD: I don't understand why MCPS would do something that clearly goes against what the research says. The research clearly says that teenagers' body clocks are on a later time cycle and need more sleep. If you had cancer and the research showed that a particular treatment didn't work would you use it anyway? It is ridiculous to start high school at 7:20.
• Lisa, Potomac, MD: This idea has been around for years and is repeatedly rejected by the school system but it is time to listen to the scientific evidence and get our priorities straight. More sleep equals more academic success. If the bus schedules are the issue have the elementary schools start earlier. 
• Terri, Chevy Chase, MD: This fight never ends: I worked for later MCPS bell times between 1998 and 2002 while my kids were in high school with no result. Parents need to get behind this.
• Susan, Takoma Pk, MD: This seriously needed change should have been enacted years ago. I realize the transportation costs increase greatly with the scheduling changes that accompanyh transporting high school students later in the day. BUT what is the point in saving money if we are properly educating students while they are on school campuses? And please do not let the arguments around conflicting priorities derail this effort - alert students able to perform at their bests in the classroom ARE the top priority!
• Kathy, Garrett Park, MD: This is just common sense. There is no good reason this can't be done if enough parents will it.
• Stephan, Bethesda, MD: Let get over the bureaucratic inertia and get this change done for the benefit of our teenagers.
• Barbara, Kensington, MD: MCPS should at least respond with a committee of parents, physicians and MCPS personnel to review evidence and impact.
• Jeff, Potomac, MD: The research on this issue is overwhelming. Please help Montgomery County serve our students' needs and enhance their education by making the school schedule fit their needs rather than forcing them to adapt unnaturally and with limited success to a schedule determined based solely on other bases.
• Karen, Kensington, MD: If there is a large concern about sports being impacted in the afternoon, you change them to the morning before school. Exercise before school should also help students concentrate better and kick start their day.
• Leslie, Chevy Chase, MD: The science has been known for years about the need for high school students need for sleep and shifting of their biological clock to later in the morning. Why not help contribute to their academic success rather than compromise it?
• Aren, Silver Spring, MD: This is of the utmost importance to both the physical and mental health of our children. Other area school districts (like Loudon Co.) have figured this out, and MoCo shouldn't be left behind.
• Heidi, Bethesda, MD: It's time to begin the discussion. Making this kind of change would have huge repercussions on everything from bus deployment to extracurricular activities, but the evidence is the evidence, and we are currently ritually abusing our adolescents. Children first!
• Merry, Potomac, MD: Today's Wall Street Journal adds even more ammo for this argument: http://on.wsj.com/R9XG4q No reason that bus schedules can't be turned around so elementary kids (who wake up earlier anyway) can't start school first, then middle, and then high school.

COMMENTS FROM PROFESSIONALS:

• Linda, Silver Spring, MD: As a parent of four, and as an adolescent therapist in MC MD, I have been advocating for this change for forty years. Lives, educations, and careers have been profoundly and negatively affected by this chronic sleep deprivation for financial/budget reasons which is unacceptable.
• Jeanine, Rockville, MD: As a Psychotherapist who treats children & adolescents with depression, school phobia and stress, it is with firm conviction I recommend a later start time for MCPS high schoolers. Let's set them up for success, starting early each day.
• AC, Bethesda, MD: I would be happy to arrange for experts in the field to educate and/or testify on the merits of the proposal. AC Koumbourlis, M.D., M.P.H. Chief, Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine Children's National Medical Center Professor of Pediatrics
• Cheryl, Silver Spring, MD: As a psychotherapist, I strongly endorse this measure - all research and anecdotal data suggests the current start time for teens is highly destructive, both emotionally and educationally.
• Kathleen, Takoma Park, MD: As a researcher of adolescent health, I truly know the importance of sleep on adolescent adjustment, health, and well being.
• Leslie, Chevy Chase, MD: as an educator I believe that a simple change is in order - move the elementary school opening times to the earlier slots. This is all about bus schedules.
• M. R., Sandy Spring, MD: I am at NIH and have been involved in this type of research and the empirical evidence is overwhelming. However, my understanding is that these schedules depend on bus sharing and thus are economically driven. I believe the state of Michigan has done this. If I am wrong, please correct me! But I'm with you. Thanks
• Resnik, Bethesda, MD: As a psychologist and former high school special educator for MCPS, I think we would all gain from this change.
• Laila, Silver Spring, MD: As a clinical psychologist, I am aware of both the empirical and anecdotal evidence that starting high school later is immensely beneficial for children's emotional and academic development. Please make this change!
• Beth, Glen Echo, MD: As a parent of former MCPS students and as I teacher, I follow the arguments and the research. It is clearly advantageous to delay the start time and to revisit the staggering of opening to address the needs of our high schoolers.
• Judy, Bethesda, MD: I'm a neurologist. I completely and totally agree
• Brooke, Kensington, MD: Having taught high school and having had teenagers of my own AND having read the research-it never has made sense to have these students in class BEFORE they wake up!
• Jane, Takoma Park, MD: As a retired teacher and parent of an MCPS high school graduate, I feel that my daughter would have benefited from this change. Let's make it for future students. JH.
• Lee, Takoma Park, MD: My wife, a 6 yr. h.s. english teacher in the Montgomery Co. School system will attest that this measure will increase productivity across the board in her experience.
• Gloria, Silver Spring, MD: I'm a teacher and a mom and I see first hand how much worse kids learn before 8:00 a.m.

COMMENTS FROM TRANSPLANTS & FOREIGNERS:

• Tessa, Olney, MD: Moving from Texas to Maryland, I was surprised to learn that one of the top school districts in the state does not utilize evidence based data to help further improve education. Adults are barely productive at the hours our teens are in school. Why is there a delay in implementing what works. Our teens should not suffer because adults do not want to change their own schedule.
• Oskar, Bethesda, MD: I have experience with high schools in 4 countries (Norway, Bangladesh, India and the US) and US start times are by far the earliest. I have never understood the disparity between the starting times for elementary school and high school students in the US; it would be much more reasonable to reverse the start times, letting the teens sleep and reducing the need for before-care for elementary school students.
• Debra, Columbia, MD: I live in Howard County but we have the same issue here and I am very involved in trying to get school times changed here, as well. This is an important issue and I am glad that Montgomery county parents are getting organized. Good Luck! 
• Ben, Rockville, MD: I led a similar campaign as a student in West Hartford, CT in 1997. Let me know if I can help in any way.
• Joel, Rockville, MD: I am a college student now, but I was always for this, because it is absolutely ridiculous to have to wake up at 6:00 a.m. each morning for some. I go to school in France now, and schools start at 9:30.

COMMENTS FROM VICTIMS:

• Henry, Gaithersburg, MD: I M A SENIOR WITH 5 AP .. LET ME SLEEP OMG
• Patrick, Germantown, MD: As a student who is currently taking 4 AP classes, and playing sports both in and out of school- sleep can sometimes be scarce. The extra few of sleep would help tremendously with the academic and physical well-being of not only myself, but many others in the same position as my self.

 More on the battle for evidence-based policymaking soon!

ENDORSEMENTS: SEIU Reveals Purple "School Bus" Ballot // READ: Montgomery County Sample Ballot Recommendations

Today SEIU Local 500 revealed its Montgomery County endorsements in the upcoming election.  The union, which represents employees in MoCo's public school system, is taking sides in several ballot question contests, as well as the school board races. Maryland Juice understands that this ballot will be handed to voters at dozens of Montgomery County polling locations. See a sneak preview below:
SEIU Local 500's 2012 Purple "School Bus" Sample Ballot

MARYLAND DEBATE SCHEDULE // Attend a Forum on Ballot Questions, Congressional Battles & School Board Races

UPDATE: The Washington Post reports that John Delaney and Rep. Roscoe Bartlett have agreed to a series of six debates. Read the WaPo coverage for times/dates/locations.

Maryland Juice reader Paul Bessel forwarded us a schedule of numerous debates scheduled this month. Below you can see a listing of events featuring candidates for Congress and school board, as well as on the marriage equality and gambling ballot questions. NOTE: The listing below includes events from around the state.

When	What Who	Sponsor Moderator	Where
Monday October 15, 2012 7pm to 9pm	Congressional Districts 3 & 4 Candidates Forum Congressman John Sarbanes (Democrat) Eric Knowles (Republican) Paul Drgos (Libertarian) Congresswoman Donna Edwards (Dem) Faith Louden (Rep) Scott Soffen (Libertarian)	Anne Arundel County League of Women Voters and American Association of University Women and Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland	Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church 611 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd Severna Park MD
Wednesday October 17, 2012 7pm to 8pm	Congressional District 6 Candidates Forum Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (Rep) John Delaney (Dem) Nicholaus Mueller (Libartarian)	League of Women Voters of Washington, Frederick, and Montgomery Counties	Hagerstown Community College Kepler Auditorium 11400 Robinwood Dr Hagerstown
Friday October 19, 2012 2pm to 4pm	Board of Education Candidates Forum Phil Kauffman Morris Panner Fred Evans Rebecca Smondrowski Chris Barclay Annita Seckinger	Democratic Club of Leisure World Paul M. Bessel	Leisure World Clubhouse 1 Baltimore Room
Saturday October 20, 2012 3pm to 5pm	Ballot Questions 6 & 7 (Same-Sex Marriage & Gambling Expansion)	League of Women Voters of Maryland and Norman and Florence Brody Family Foundation Public Policy Forum	Friendship Heights Village Center 4433 S. Park Ave Chevy Chase
Wednesday October 24, 2012 6:45pm to 9pm	Board of Education Candidates Forum Phil Kauffman Morris Panner Fred Evans Rebecca Smondrowski Chris Barclay Annita Seckinger	Progressive Neighbors State Delegate Bonnie Cullison Sharon Dooley Marva Deskins	Takoma Park Presbyterian Church Assembly Hall 310 Tulip Ave (at Maple St) Takoma Park
Monday October 29, 2012 6:15pm to 7:45pm	Board of Education Candidates Forum Phil Kauffman Morris Panner Fred Evans Rebecca Smondrowski Chris Barclay Annita Seckinger	League of Women Voters of Montgomery County and American Association of University Women	Wheaton Library 11701 Georgia Avenue

EVENTS: Prince George's School Board Debate TUE 10/16 -- PLUS: FOP Question B Press Event with Sen. Manno Wednesday

Below, Maryland Juice highlights two events of potential interest to MoCo and P.G. politicos. Readers are invited to attend a Prince George’s County school board candidate debate on Tuesday, October 16th. In addition, we received a press release from Montgomery County's police union (FOP Lodge 35) announcing a press conference tomorrow regarding MoCo Question B. Senator Roger Manno and others will be appearing at an event to urge a "Vote Against" repealing "effects bargaining" rights for MoCo police offers. See both announcements below:

Press Release

10/16 Prince George's School Board Candidates Forum at CenterPoint Church

Citywide forum to address the future of public school education in the County

Camp Springs, MD (October 16, 2012)—Partnership for The Renewal of Southern and Central Maryland (PRISCM) and SPACE’s (Safe Places for The Advancement of Community and Equity) are pleased to be holding Prince George’s County School Board Candidates Forum on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 7PM at CenterPoint Church @FBC Camp Springs, 6936 Allentown Rd, Camp Springs, MD 20748. School Board Candidates, Zabrina Epps (District 1), Micah Watson (District 4), Verjeana Jacobs & Raaheela Ahmed (District 5), Henry Armwood & Carletta Fellows (District 7), and Edward Burroughs (District 8) are confirmed attendees. Parents, students, school staff, the general public are encouraged to attend and participate in the forum to learn more about each candidate and their campaign.

Pastor Orlando Bego, Education Community Organizer for SPACE’s and member of PRISCM says, “Purpose of the this Candidates Forum is to allow candidates to explain their positions on questions ranging from budget to policy and for the community to learn more about what the candidates will do for Prince George’s County. Pastor Bego went on to say, “Education in the county is faced with a thrust of an unstable system, from the vacant Superintendent and other administrative positions to the questionable state of Education Reform. We need leaders who are not only passionate but experienced to guide us forward.”

The event will start at 7:00 p.m., run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This forum will give you a chance to hear directly from Prince George’s County School Board Candidates about how they plan to tackle the issues our students are facing.

About PRISCM

PRISCM consists of a network of over 25 grassroots, interfaith, interracial, multi-issue organizations, working together to create a more just and more democratic society.

About SPACE’s

SPACEs (Safe Places for the Advancement of Community and Equity) is an inter-disciplinary social justice organization that unleashes the capacity of people and organizations to create communities of HOPE (Healing, Opportunity and Possibility for Everyone).

Prince George's Board of Education Debate Invitation

MoCo's police union announces the following press event tomorrow (WED) regarding Question B:
FOP Local 35 Press Conference Announcement

DEBATE SCHEDULE: Montgomery County Board of Education Candidates to Face Off // Fred Evans vs. Rebecca Smondrowski

UPDATE: Two readers inform us that there are two additional school board candidates debates. One on WED 10/10 and another on MON 10/29.  

10/10 DEBATE: School Board Candidates Forum on Public Safety, October 10 - 7 p.m.
Long Branch Community Center, 2nd floor Social Hall
8700 Piney Branch Road, Silver Spring, MD

10/29 DEBATE: League of Women Voters of Montgomery County and the American Association of University Women are holding a School Board debate for all the candidates on Monday, October 29 at 6pm at Wheaton Library.

In Montgomery County, there are only a few hotly contested races on the ballot this November, and much of the attention has been focused on the 6th Congressional District battle between Democrat John Delaney and GOP Rep. Roscoe Bartlett. Meanwhile, the numerous referenda are attracting time and resources from local Dems -- (eg: police union rights, gambling, redistricting, the Dream Act and marriage equality).

But the real sleeper race is the Board of Education District 2 contest between former principal Fred Evans and MoCo politico Rebecca Smondrowski. Over the next two weeks, MoCo voters will have two opportunities to watch the school board candidates square off (details below):

DEBATE #1: OCT. 19 LEISURE WORLD DEMOCRATIC CLUB EVENT - Montgomery County's Leisure World community has long been a hotbed of Democratic Party activity, given that the thousands of retirees residing there have reliably high voter turnout. They are hosting a school board forum on Friday, October 19th (details below):

We in Leisure World have scheduled a Candidates Forum for the 6 candidates for the Montgomery County Board of Education. It will be held on Friday, October 19, 2012, from 2pm to 4pm. It is sponsored by the Democratic Club of Leisure World but since the Board of Education election is non-partisan, our Candidates Forum will be non-partisan too.

We have received acceptances from all 6 candidates, and we plan to have an in-depth conversation with all the candidates, in front of as many potential voters as possible. We won't have rigid time limits for answers, and won't have every candidate answer every question. Instead, each candidate will be given the opportunity to answer the questions he or she is most interested in, and to have a roughly equal amount of time to talk.

We've prepared a handout to help explain the MoCo Board of Education election, and I'll attach a copy of that handout to this email.

Leisure World is a gated community, where you need an invitation to enter, so if anyone would like to attend this event they can contact me (Paul M. Bessel at besselpaulm@comcast.net ) and I'll be happy to invite you so long as we have enough room.

Leisure World Debate Info: Montgomery County Board of Education

DEBATE #2: OCT. 24 PROGRESSIVE NEIGHBORS EVENT - Progressive Neighbors is a grassroots group of Montgomery County liberals, and on Wednesday, October 24th, they too are hosting a school board candidates debate (details below):

Save the Date: School Board Candidates Forum - Wednesday, October 24

WHAT: Montgomery County Education Forum, Progressive Neighbors, Takoma Park Presbyterian Church, and the African-American Democratic Club of Montgomery County invite you to join us for a community forum to hear from and ask questions of candidates for the Montgomery County Board of Education.

WHEN: Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 6:45 to 9:00 pm

WHERE: Takoma Park Presbyterian Church, Assembly Hall –
310 Tulip Ave (at Maple Ave), Takoma Park, MD 20912*

WHO:
District 2: Rebecca Smondrowski, Fred Evans
District 4: Christopher Barclay, Annita Seckinger
At-Large: Phil Kauffman, Morris Panner
Moderators: Del. Bonnie Cullison, Sharon Dooley, Marva Deskins

Please forward this to friends, family, neighbors, listserves, and share it on Facebook.  For more information, please contact Terrill North at terrillnorth@hotmail.com.

*Ample street parking and walkable from Takoma Park Metro.

Doug Duncan Endorses Fred Evans for MoCo School Board // Signs of a Political Return from the Former County Executive?

Tonight, former Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan endorsed former principal Fred Evans for MoCo school board (aka Board of Education District 2). Evans is running against local political activist Rebecca Smondrowski. This development is the second time this year that Duncan has come out of hiding to make a political endorsement. Notably, he supported John Delaney in last April's 6th District Congressional Primary. Is Doug Duncan trying to make a political comeback?

Read the email announcement from Doug Duncan below:

Dear Friends,

Let me explain why I strongly support Fred Evans for the Montgomery County Board of Education.

I've known Fred for over 25 years. We first met when I was a Rockville City Councilman and he was an Assistant Principal at Rockville High School, where my sister was a student. We instantly connected with one another as we discussed education, politics, and sports.  Fred has the experience, dedication and leadership you hope to find in every teacher and principal. I have always relied on him.

It is important that we have individuals with Fred’s experience and knowledge on the Board of Education. With an annual budget of over $2.3 billion, we must choose someone who truly understands the resources needed by our teachers, students, parents, and community members. We must choose someone who can look at an award winning school system and strive to make it even better.

Fred is the clear choice because, for this job,
there can be no learning curve.
Fred’s three priorities to make our strong school system better are:

• Close the existing achievement gap among our students.

• Hold a series of "Educate the Board of Education" forums to provide the community an opportunity to express what works and what needs to be improved in MCPS.

• Conduct a comprehensive study of the MCPS budget to determine which programs work, which can be improved and which should be eliminated.

To learn more about Fred visit www.FredEvans2012.com or email info@FredEvans2012.com.

Sincerely,

Doug Duncan

WATCH: Fred Evans vs. Rebecca Smondrowski - MoCo School Board Debate // PLUS: Blaine Young vs. Frederick Teachers

This November, numerous Maryland voters will elect members of their local school boards. But some of these low-profile races are among the most competitive contests on the ballot. Below Maryland Juice highlights three notable Board of Education battles: Montgomery County, Frederick County & Prince George's County.

BOE BATTLE #1 - VIDEO DEBATE FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION (DISTRICT 2): Last April, Montgomery County voters nominated former principal Fred Evans and local politco Rebecca Smondrowski to run for the lone District 2 school board spot this November. Candidates from throughout Montgomery County can vote in this race. Fred Evans has the backing of the teachers union (MCEA), while Rebecca Smondrowski has the backing of The Washington Post and two other unions in Montgomery County: MCGEO and SEIU Local 500. Below you can watch Fred Evans and Rebecca Smondrowski debate on MoCo cable's "Political Pulse" show:



BOE BATTLE #2 - CANDIDATE WITHDRAWS FROM FREDERICK COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION RACE: This November, Frederick County voters will vote to fill a portion of their Board of Education seats. The race is highlighting numerous ideological battles, as Frederick Tea Party leader Blaine Young is trying to wrest control of the school board. He needs one more vote on the school board to unleash his agenda. Last May, Gazette columnist Joe Volz gave a quick background on Young's attempts to gain control the Frederick County school board:

SEIU Local 500 Endorses Rebecca Smondrowski for Montgomery County Board of Education, District 2

SEIU Local 500, the labor organization representing employees in the Montgomery County public school system, has endorsed Rebecca Smondrowski for the Board of Education District 2 seat. Smondrowski is running against former principal Fred Evans, who has the backing of the teachers union (aka MCEA). In the April school board primaries, five candidates vied for the two General Election spots. The Primary Election results are below, followed by the endorsement press release from SEIU Local 500:

DISTRICT 2 BOARD OF EDUCATION PRIMARY RESULTS (April 2012)

1. Fred Evans - 16,495 (24.8%) - MCEA Endorsed
2. Rebecca Smondrowski - 14,938 (22.4%) - Washington Post Endorsed
3. Jeanne Ellinport - 14,487 (21.7%) - MCEA Endorsed
4. Susan Byrne - 13,828 (20.8%)
5. Saqib Ali  - 6,878 (10.3%)

PRESS RELEASE    SEIU Local 500 Endorses Rebecca Smondrowski for  Montgomery County Board of Education, District 2
History of commitment to education key to endorsement

GAITHERSBURG, MD – The executive board of the SEIU Local 500 unanimously voted to endorse Rebecca Smondrowski for the open, District 2 seat on the Montgomery County Board of Education.

SEIU Local 500 President Merle Cuttitta said:

“Local 500 members drive the buses that bring children to school, keep classrooms and hallways clean and safe and provide direct instruction to this community’s children as paraeducators and media assistants - and they are committed to giving our children a world class education. Local 500 members also have children and grandchildren who attend Montgomery County public schools. That’s why it is so important for all of us to have someone like Rebecca on the Board of Education, because she has proven her commitment to our schools, our community and our children.”

Rebecca Smondrowski expressed her appreciation of Local 500’s support:

“SEIU Local 500 members are on the front lines, working to keep Montgomery County schools among the nation’s best and I am honored to have their support.”

SEIU Local 500 members include supporting services employees at MCPS, Maryland family childcare providers, part time faculty at Montgomery College and employees at homes and centers for the developmentally disabled.

Montgomery County PTA Leaders Defend Choice of 15-Year-Old Officer // Youth Leader Has Students' "Best Interest At Heart"

A few days ago, Maryland Juice wrote about the remarkable story of a 15-year-old Montgomery County student who was recently elected to the leadership of the countywide PTA (aka the MCCPTA). The Gazette reported:

GAZETTE: When Richie Yarrow stood up as a newly-elected officer of the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations at its meeting last week, some members were shocked.

Richie is 15 years old....

He said he wants to bring a stronger student voice to the 48,000-member organization, which is, for the most part, parent-run.

“This is my education that is at stake, and I want to have some say in it,” Richie said....

Richie, a freshman at Richard Montgomery High School, served last year as the vice president of Eastern Middle School’s PTSA. He was also president last year of Montgomery County Junior Councils, the county’s organization for middle school student government.

REDEMPTION: Maryland Juice was disappointed to see some parents so quickly complaining about Yarrow's victory. But yesterday some grownups set the record straight with letters of support for student representation. The Gazette printed two letters from residents who are supportive of Richie Yarrow's service on the MoCo PTA. The first comes from the incoming President of the MCCPTA, Janette Gilman (see excerpt below):

JANETTE GILMAN:  Increased engagement in the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations (MCCPTA) and our local PTAs by parents, school staff, community partners and students is a goal the organization has and will continue to encourage and nurture...

...all of our high schools and about half of our middle schools are Parent-Teacher-Student Associations that include student members....

Ritchie Yarrow's election as the Recording Secretary for the MCCPTA Delegates Assembly is an important step towards — and an important sign of — the progress this organization is making towards achieving the goal of student engagement.

The MCCPTA Board of Directors recently also acknowledged its interest in formalizing the role of student involvement by creating a new committee with that charter in March....

The second letter of support comes from a former MCCPTA Delegate Tom Brennan of Germantown (see excerpt below):

TOM BRENNAN: Congratulations to Richard Montgomery High School freshman Richie Yarrow for being elected to serve the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations (MCCPTA) as Recording Secretary....

Although I have never met or spoken with Mr. Yarrow, having been a onetime delegate to the MCCPTA and having worked with past MCCPTA leadership, I am confident that he will bring a maturity to the MCCPTA that has been lacking for a long time.

It seems that the MCCPTA is still full of politics and personal agendas....

It wasn’t Mr. Yarrow who voted for someone he didn’t know anything about. He isn’t the one now complaining. And he isn’t looking to change the rules to protect himself from his own ignorance.

The board dynamic will change, if Montgomery County Pubic Schools are lucky. Mr. Yarrow’s presence may just force other board members to be better prepared with an understanding of each issue, better able to explain the issues and perhaps better prepared to vote smartly.

The schools and the MCCPTA will be served well by Mr. Yarrow. There will now be someone serving who wants to be there for the right reasons, has no personal long term agenda, and has no political motives. Mr. Yarrow will truly have the student population’s best interest at heart....

Now THIS is the MoCo I know and love....

Why the Youth Vote is Important to Democrats // Plus, Join Maryland Juice & Media Figures in Rockville TONIGHT

UPDATE: Board of Education At-Large candidate Morris Panner has published an op-ed in the Chevy Chase Patch supporting Sen. Brian Frosh in his decision to squash youth voting rights on the school board. *cough*

Today, The Washington Post's political bloggers at The Fix provide a worthwhile dissection of America's youth vote. Political reporters Chris Cilizza and Aaron Blake today have an instructive article showing why young voters are central to President Barack Obama's re-election strategy. The POTUS is currently touring colleges around the nation, in an attempt to highlight his record on trying to make higher education affordable. But why would the President spend so much effort wooing a small and unreliable voting population? See one explanation below, along with a quick comment from Maryland Juice tying this issue to local races.

SIZE VS. COHESION: The old saying goes that strength comes in numbers. But in politics, it may be equally true that strength comes with cohesion. Indeed, parties often gain not just by large numbers of their voters turning out, but also by racking up huge vote gaps among defined populations. Maryland Juice recently noted, for example, that polling indicates women in swing Congressional districts are breaking disproportionately for Democrats, and this could severely hamper Republican candidates around the nation. But it is much easier to understand why women would be central to the Democratic Party strategy than smaller groups, given that women consistently comprise a majority of voter turnout.

The Fix explains (excerpt below):

...As the president travels to Colorado today to kick off a tour of college campuses to promote the extension of lower interest rates for student loans ... it’s worth re-examining what happened among young people in the 2008 election and whether he can re-create that magic in 2012.

The most common misconception about 2008 is that Obama grew the youth vote — defined for our purposes as those between 18 and 29 years old — by any significant measure as compared to past elections. He didn’t....

Young voters comprised 18 percent of the electorate in 2008, a one-point improvement from their share of the electorate in 2004, 2000 and 1996, but nowhere near the heights they reached in the 1980s.

What Obama did do — good grammar! — is win young voters by a far greater margin than any Democratic presidential nominee in modern times.

Again, we turn to a chart looking at the percentages the Democratic and Republican nominees won among 18-29-year-old voters:

Source: Washington Post, The Fix 4/24/12

Obama’s 34-point margin among young people was almost double the next best showing by a Democratic nominee; Bill Clinton won 18-29-year-old voters by 19 points in his sweeping 1996 reelection victory. 

The youth turnout then was far less consequential to Obama’s victory than the consolidation of the 18-29-year-old vote behind his candidacy....

Polling provides a muddled picture of whether Obama can hope to recreate that sort of margin. 

Obama’s favorable ratings among young people have fallen since 2009, but they have fallen less quickly and less precipitously than with other age groups.

DOWN-TICKET IMPACT: Notably, around the nation Congressional candidates of both parties are being held hostage to the dynamics of the Presidential race. After all, most voters this November will turnout to make a statement about the Obama-Romney battle, and downticket races will be afterthoughts to a large portion of voters. How Obama and Romney treat different groups (ie: women, youths, etc) can in some ways overshadow many elements of individual candidate messaging in the Congressional races. Last week Maryland Juice noted, for example, that in the key Congressional races where Democrats hope to pick-up GOP-held seats, Republicans are doing better among youth voters. See the poll snapshot below from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, a firm launched by Bill Clinton's former pollster:

UNFORCED ERRORS: The youth vote, for example, is often taken for granted because it is assumed that not enough young people vote to make it worth pursuing their votes. Unlike women, youths comprise a much smaller portion of the electorate. But stopping your analysis there is a surefire way to miss electoral opportunities and longterm investments in future voters. Indeed, Maryland Juice believes that area Democrats often shoot themselves in the foot (for no reason) with key constituencies like young voters.

Recent unforced errors from Montgomery County Dems include proposing a youth curfew in the midst of a crime decline, along with squashing a bill to expand voting rights for MoCo's student school board member. Today, Maryland Reporter also notes that University of Maryland students are panicking over possible tuition hikes resulting from Senate President Mike Miller's hijacking of the state budget process.

Maryland Juice hopes that Democrats are beginning to get the picture here. You cannot take young people for granted, and I think it is a shame that I even have to write a post showing that this in our Party's electoral interest. In reality, the merits of youth-driven policymaking should be obvious for Democrats who care about policy. After all, young people are not wedded to the institutions and practices of the older generation. They are part of what keeps the Democratic policy circuit forward-thinking, and I truly believe this is a value for the nation (and progressives).


P.S. JOIN MARYLAND JUICE TONIGHT - Speaking of the youth vote, please come to the Montgomery County Young Democrats meeting in Rockville, Maryland tonight at 7:30 pm. All are welcome to attend a special panel discussion featuring Maryland Juice, Center Maryland's Josh Kurtz, and WTOP's Kate Ryan. Former CNN producer Evan Glass will moderate.

Sen. Brian Frosh Responds to Critics After Unilaterally Killing Youth Voting Rights on Montgomery County School Board

PLUS: Commentary on Travyon Martin & MoCo's Failed Youth Curfew Plan

Today, Maryland Juice presents Sen. Brian Frosh's response to the recent condemnation of his unilateral killing of a youth empowerment bill  (see below). As Maryland Juice previously reported, Frosh's unusual efforts concern a bill that would grant full voting privileges to Montgomery County's elected student member of the Board of Education. The bill MC 9-12 passed unanimously in the Montgomery County House Delegation and 5-2 in the Senate. Students have fought for these rights for years, but Mr. Frosh decided to replace the judgment of the rest of the colleagues with his own by effectively placing a hold on the youth representation bill. You can read more about the history of the effort in past articles.

Frosh's letter explaining his actions was written in response to an email he received from Montgomery County Young Democrats (MYCD) President Dave Kunes. Kunes, who had been working with MYCD to fight back against Frosh's assault, provided the following note to accompany the email thread he provided:

DAVE KUNES: I am disappointed Senator Frosh did not respond to our request in the letters sent by over 80 Young Dems and supporters. We were not trying to convince Senator Frosh on the merits of the legislation. We asked him to stop holding up the democratic process by simply allowing his colleagues in the House and Senate to vote this bill to passage. I look forward to working with our members and youth rights activists in supporting this bill again next year.

UPDATE: No Change to Frederick Board of Education Results // 12 Vote Photo Finish for Primary Election

Maryland Juice recently noted that the Frederick County Board of Education primary this month might face a changed outcome with absentee ballots. Last week, the first round of absentee counting resulted in a 17-vote margin separating two candidates in the school board primary.

The election was to select six candidates to advance to the November General Election, but Tony Chmelik only held an 11 vote lead over seventh place candidate Emily Ann Meyer. After today's final round of absentee ballot counting, Mr. Chmelik is still in the lead -- by 12 votes! See the current unofficial results below:

Last Updated 04/13/2012 03:46:47 PM

Board of Education

Non-Partisan (Vote for No More Than Three)
Name	Party	Early Voting	Election Day	Absentee / Provisional	Total Votes	Percentage
Zakir Bengali	Non-Partisan	872	6,418	205	7495	9.5%
Tony Chmelik	Non-Partisan	441	6,074	162	6677	8.5%
Donna J. Crook	Non-Partisan	570	5,536	223	6329	8.0%
Colleen Cusimano	Non-Partisan	531	6,075	170	6776	8.6%
Kiesha La Kay Edmonds	Non-Partisan	175	1,382	50	1607	2.0%
Kathryn B. "Katie" Groth	Non-Partisan	1,248	9,895	320	11463	14.5%
James E. Hoover	Non-Partisan	317	4,149	147	4613	5.9%
Emily Ann Meyer	Non-Partisan	612	5,906	147	6665	8.5%
Cindy Ann Rose	Non-Partisan	342	4,770	119	5231	6.6%
Joy Schaefer	Non-Partisan	838	6,480	170	7488	9.5%
Tom Shade	Non-Partisan	739	7,179	261	8179	10.4%
Pam Ward	Non-Partisan	439	5,685	172	6296	8.0%