ISSUE JUICE: Roll Calls on Transgender, Minimum Wage, Estate Tax & Pot Bills // PLUS: Purple Line, School $, Privacy & More!

Below Maryland Juice provides a round of updates regarding hot button legislation in the Free State:

JUICE #1: ROLL CALL // TRANSGENDER NONDISCRIMINATION BILL PASSES STATE SENATE - After years of stalled efforts, the Maryland Senate passed the "Fairness for All Marylanders Act" (32-15) to provide transgender residents protection from discrimination. 4 Democrats joined 11 Republicans in voting against the nondiscrimination bill, while only 1 Republican voted in favor of transgender nondiscrimination. See the names of lawmakers who broke party lines below:

Democrats who voted against transgender nondiscrimination:

• John Astle (D30)
• Ed DeGrange (D32)
• Roy Dyson (D29)
• Jim Mathias (D38)

Republicans who voted for transgender nondiscrimination:

• Allan Kittleman (D9)

The measure now awaits consideration in the House of Delegates, where we expect it to pass, given its broad support (eg: 61 members co-sponsoring the bill).


JUICE #2: ROLL CALL // $10.10 MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE PASSES HOUSE OF DELEGATES WITHOUT INDEXING - Last week the Maryland House of Delegates approved an increase in the state's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. The vote was 89-46 (via Washington Post), but according to a press release from Raise Maryland, the bill was watered down a bit along the way (excerpt below):

RAISE MARYLAND: Key provisions of the Maryland Minimum Wage Act of 2014 were stripped out during consideration of the bill in the House Economic Matters Committee.  A proposal to index the minimum wage so that it would rise during to keep pace with the cost of living was amended out of the bill. A measure to raise wages for tipped workers from 50 to 70 percent of the minimum wage has been changed to freeze tipped wages at $3.63, the current rate. This amendment means that as the minimum wage rises, tipped worker’s pay would remain at the current level, giving them a pay cut. Advocates are working to keep address these issues in the Senate version of the bill, as well as an amendment that broadly exempts amusement parks....

Every Republican Delegate voted against the minimum wage increase, along with 7 Democratic members of the House. See the names of lawmakers who broke party lines below, along with a few members for whom there is no vote recorded either way:

Democrats who voted against a $10.10/hour minimum wage:

• Pamela Beidle (D32)
• Eric Bromwell (D8)
• Norm Conway (D38B)
• Kevin Kelly (D1B)
• Joseph Minnick (D6)
• David Rudolph (D34B)
• John Wood (D29A)

Democrats with no recorded final vote on a $10.10/hour minimum wage

• Luiz Simmons (D17) - NOTE: Simmons had an excused absence due to the death of his father
• Theodore Sophocleus (D32)

MIZEUR AMENDMENT: Delegate Heather Mizeur, a gubernatorial candidate, offered a last-minute amendment to try and revive indexing in the minimum wage bill through a 2% annual increase after the wage reached $10.10. Mizeur's amendment was defeated in a 8-124 vote, but here are the names of the seven other Delegates who supported her effort. Note that Doug Gansler's running-mate, Jolene Ivey, voted for Mizeur's amendment:

• Liz Bobo (D12)
• Jolene Ivey (D47)
• Doyle Niemann (D47)
• Shane Robinson (D39)
• Mary Washington (D43)
• Ana Sol Gutierrez (D18)
• Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D21)

The minimum wage increase now awaits consideration in the Maryland Senate.


JUICE #3: ROLL CALL // MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION PASSES MARYLAND SENATE COMMITTEE - Last week the Maryland Senate's Judicial Proceedings committee approved legislation to remove jail time as a penalty for marijuana possession. State Senator Bobby Zirkin (a bill sponsor) issued the following press release explaining the legislation (excerpt below):

BOBBY ZIRKIN: The bill will create a civil fine not to exceed $100 for adults possessing a small quantity of marijuana. In addition, minors who are found in possession are subject to the $100 fine but also must appear in court in front of a judge or a juvenile master. Juvenile offenders could be ordered to participate in community service or participate in drug education programs.

The bi-partisan vote in the Judicial Proceedings committee was 8-3. Here are the Senators who voted for and against the bill:

Senators who voted for marijuana decriminalization in committee:

• Jim Brochin (D42 Democrat)
• Jennie Forehand (D17 Democrat)
• Brian Frosh  (D16 Democrat)
• Nancy Jacobs (D34 Republican)
• Anthony Muse (D26 Democrat)
• Jamie Raskin (D20 Democrat)
• Chris Shank (D2 Republican)
• Bobby Zirkin (D11 Democrat)

Senators who voted against marijuana decriminalization in committee:

• Steve Hershey (D26 Republican)
• Norm Stone (D6 Democrat)
• Lisa Gladden (D41 Democrat)

The measure now awaits consideration by the full Senate and action in the House, though it is worth noting that decriminalization legislation passed the Senate last year. Meanwhile, officials in neighboring Washington, DC have decriminalized pot.


JUICE #4: FEDS APPROVE FUNDING FOR PURPLE LINE // LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM WILL OPEN IN 2020 - Maryland's light rail Purple Line project was approved for federal funding last week. The transit line would run from Bethesda to New Carrolton, with numerous stops in Montgomery and Prince George's counties. The Washington Post's Katie Shaver reported on the development (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: A proposed light-rail Purple Line project has been recommended for $100 million in federal money in the next fiscal year as part of President Obama’s budget released Tuesday.... Just as significant to the project’s future is that the Purple Line was included on a list of seven large transit projects nationwide that the Federal Transit Administration recommends for a “full funding grant agreement,” a ­longer-term commitment by the federal government to help pay for the project’s construction.... “This is really good news,” said Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.), whose district includes part of the proposed Purple Line route in Prince George’s County. “This really keeps the Purple Line on the trajectory we need.” The 16-mile light-rail line would have 21 stations from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George’s. Maryland transit officials have said they hope to begin construction in 2015 and begin service in 2020.

JUICE #5: ROLL CALL // ESTATE TAX CUT APPROVED BY MARYLAND HOUSE OF DELEGATES - Progressive Maryland and some labor allies launched a campaign to stop a cut to Maryland's estate tax. Last week a Maryland Juice reader reported that Progressive Maryland had even launched calls to voters offering to patch them through to their lawmakers. But the organization reported on Facebook last week that the House of Delegates approved the estate tax cut (excerpt below):

PROGRESSIVE MARYLAND: Maryland House of Delegates just voted 120-13 in favor of cutting taxes for the wealthiest 3% of Maryland estates via HB 739. This vote came just 1 day after the State disclosed that it is in a budget hole and is weighing a $300 million cut to teachers and other state employees' pensions....

Progressive Maryland reported that 13 Democrats opposed cutting the estate tax, and we learned that a 14th Delegate added their name to the "no" votes:

• Charles Barkley (D39)
• Liz Bobo (D12)
• Al Carr (D18)
• Jill Carter (D41)
• David Fraser-Hidalgo (D15)
• Ana Sol Gutierrez (D18)
• Carolyn Howard (D24)
• Tom Hucker (D20)
• Eric Luedtke (D14)
• Heather Mizeur (D20)
• Shane Robinson (D39)
• Jeff Waldstreicher (D18)
• Alonzo Washington (D22)
• Mary Washington (D43)

The tax cut bill is now awaiting action in the State Senate.


JUICE #6: IN MIDST OF MEDIA AND NONPROFIT CRITICISM, LAWMAKERS ABANDON BILL TO BAN ACADEMIC BOYCOTTS - Maryland Juice previously reported on a controversial bill (HB998 & SB647) pitting the politics of the Middle East against academic freedom. The Washington Post recently editorialized against the bill, as it would prohibit state funding for academics engaged in boycotts (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: When an academic group announced it would boycott Israel’s higher-education institutions, the president of the University of Maryland, like dozens of his peers across the country, condemned the move. “A breach of the principle of academic freedom” said Wallace D. Loh in a joint statement with the school’s provost. We completely agree. However, legislation being advanced by state lawmakers to bar participation in the boycott goes too far and constitutes its own insidious assault on academic freedom. The Maryland General Assembly is considering legislation that would bar public universities from providing funds to academic organizations that support boycotts of Israel.....

Academicians, including those who abhor the boycott, are right to be alarmed by this kind of legislation. The American Association of University Professors argue that the measure would impose a political litmus test on faculty members seeking university support for research meetings and travel.... At a hearing this week before the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, an official from the American Civil Liberties of Union termed the bill “inimical to democratic principals.” This bill is ill-advised and should be killed. If it advances out of the General Assembly, Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) should veto it.

As a result of the backlash over the bill to ban academic boycotts, at least two sponsors are withdrawing support for the effort. A Maryland Juice reader sent us comments from the offices of two bill sponsors who are now opposing the effort:

OFFICE OF KUMAR BARVE: ... although the delegate co-sponsored HB 998 (Public Higher Education- Use of Funds- Prohibition), he has decided to vote against it if it reaches the House floor.

OFFICE OF MARY WASHINGTON: After further research on the bill, Delegate Washington is no longer supporting HB 998 and has asked to be removed as a cosponsor.

JUICE #7: GOOD BILLS TO SUPPORT // TIME TO PASS BLACK LIQUOR BILL, SECOND CHANCE ACT & PACKAGE OF PRIVACY LEGISLATION - Over the last few years, progressive lawmakers have attempted to pass a few common-sense bills but have been rebuffed time and again.

BLACK LIQUOR: The first bill is a bill to end Maryland subsidies for a dirty energy source called "black liquor" that is produced from wood and paper waste (SB734 & HB747). The Chesapeake Climate Action Network describes the 2014 legislative effort as follows (excerpt below):

CHESAPEAKE CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK: A massive loophole in Maryland's renewable energy law is forcing ratepayers to reward the creation of greenhouse gases and harmful air pollutants. In the 2014 General Assembly, the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard - Qualifying Biomass bill (SB 734/HB 747) would eliminate that loophole to ensure that Maryland's clean energy is actually clean.

In 2004, Maryland became one of the first states in the country to create a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).... However, while fellow Mid-Atlantic States like Delaware and New Jersey get over 70% of their renewable energy portfolios from the wind and sun, these resources make up only 15% of Maryland's portfolio. The primary reason is a flaw in the renewable energy law that supports out-of-state, high-emission black liquor and wood waste facilities that have been in operation for over 32 years on average. These old, polluting facilities are receiving more of our renewable energy dollars than true clean energy sources like wind and solar.

EXPUNGING CRIMINAL RECORDS: The second bill "good bill" we're highlighting is called the Maryland Second Chance Act. This is an effort to allow residents with minor nonviolent criminal convictions to be able to shield them from public view after a number of years (SB1056 & HB1166). The Job Opportunities Task Force provided the following update on the status of this bill:

JOB OPPORTUNITIES TASK FORCE: This Tuesday the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will consider the Maryland Second Chance Act of 2014. This important legislation would permit the shielding of certain nonviolent misdemeanor convictions from the public. For many Marylanders this means their criminal record would no longer stand in the way of getting a job.

Please take a minute to contact your lawmakers and share your support for SB 1056/ HB 1166. Phone calls are best, but please feel free to send an email using templates for the Senate Judicial Proceedings and House Judiciary Committees.

In a press release yesterday, Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler (a candidate for Governor) announced that he would be testifying in support of the Second Chance Act at the Senate hearing today (TUE 3/11/14) (excerpt below):

DOUG GANSLER: Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler will tour the Community Kitchen in East Baltimore at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday March 11 to learn how the Episcopal Community Services program uses its catering service to train and certify formerly incarcerated persons and prepare them for employment and careers in food service....

Following the tour, Attorney General Gansler will hold a news conference on site at 11:30 a.m. to discuss his support of The Maryland Second Chance Act of 2014 (SB 1056 and HB 1166) before heading to Annapolis to testify in House and Senate committee hearings on the legislation....

ELECTRONIC PRIVACY LEGISLATION: Lastly, civil liberties advocates are promoting a package of legislation aimed at increasing privacy protections for Marylanders. The Cumberland Times-News reported on the effort (excerpt below):

CUMBERLAND TIMES-NEWS: While technology that tracks cellphones and cars has made work easier for some law enforcement officials, a bundle of proposed laws would ensure that the same technology could not violate Marylanders’ protections from unwarranted searches and seizures.

Members of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland testified last week  in the House Judiciary Committee and the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee in favor of four bills aimed at curbing law enforcement officials’ ability to electronically monitor citizens. If passed, the bills would require law enforcement to obtain a warrant before reading electronic communication and tracking a cellphone.

“Your phone can tell the government where you are at any moment,” said Del. Jeff Waldstreicher, D-Montgomery, who sponsored the bill on cellphone tracking. The proposed bills would also limit the ability of police to use drones, and would place parameters on how long law enforcement officials can keep records based on license plate readers. David Rocah, senior staff attorney with the ACLU, said he is concerned that laws requiring warrants did not yet exist when smartphones be-came available to the public.

JUICE #8: MOCO LAWMAKERS RALLY FOR MORE SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION FUNDING AS COUNTY EXEC CANDIDATES JOCKEY - Montgomery County officials have been pushing for increased school construction dollars from Annapolis this year. In response to surging enrollment, MoCo electeds have joined with lawmakers in Baltimore and Prince George's counties to present a united front for increased modernization funds. But The Gazette's Kate Alexander reported a couple weeks ago that the funding push was facing an uphill battle in the General Assembly. Since then, MoCo officials and residents held a rally in Annapolis, and County Executive Ike Leggett issued an action alert calling on residents to contact the Governor and leaders of the House and Senate. Rival County Exec candidate Doug Duncan also released a letter he sent to MoCo's Del. Anne Kaiser and Sen. Jamie Raskin (MoCo's House & Senate leaders) declaring an absence of "strong, local leadership" on school funding. Below we provide a few excerpts from the relevant statements, starting with dueling releases from Ike Leggett and Doug Duncan:

IKE LEGGETT ACTION ALERT

Overcrowding in County Schools Requires More State Construction Dollars:
Pass Senate Bill 927 and House Bill 1323
Montgomery County is working closely with Baltimore County and Prince George’s County to win a state program where every $2 of County money will be matched by $1 in State money. Together, the three counties represent 44 percent of the State’s students and 46 percent of students eligible for free and reduced meals....

Montgomery County is already planning to invest another $1.1 billion of our own County money for school construction – a record high. Over the last eight years, County funding for school construction has increased by 36 percent.

Montgomery County needs the State of Maryland to step up with a matched program for resources over and above what the County normally receives. Investing in our future teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs, and innovators - and our kids' quality education - is absolutely essential for Montgomery County and is a smart investment for the whole State of Maryland.

For more details on this campaign: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/schoolfunding/

Send messages to:

• Governor Martin O’Malley - governor.mail@maryland.gov
• Lt. Governor Anthony Brown - lt.governor.mail@maryland.gov
• Senate President Mike Miller - Thomas.v.miller@senate.state.md.us
• House of Delegates Speaker Michael Busch - Michael.busch@house.state.md.us

Thank them for their past support and tell these State of Maryland leaders why investing in our schools is critically important and why we need Senate Bill 927 and House Bill 1323.

DOUG DUNCAN'S LETTER TO SEN. RASKIN & DEL. KAISER

Dear Senator Raskin/Delegate Kaiser,

I was disappointed to read last week that Montgomery County local officials are already declaring defeat on our number one priority in Annapolis - obtaining additional school construction funding to address the public school’s system’s severe overcrowding.  I am writing to ask you and your colleagues to take decisive action and provide the leadership needed to secure this critical funding approved this year - not later as some have suggested.

Montgomery County faces a public school overcrowding crisis, with approximately 2,500 additional students entering the school system each year for the next several years.   We owe every child in Montgomery County the opportunity to learn in a clean, safe, modern, and uncrowded classroom.

As you know, during the debate over increasing the gas tax in 2012, Baltimore City delegation members leveraged their support to get more school construction money – funds they will now receive.  Unfortunately, largely due to the absence of strong, local leadership, Montgomery County did not secure a similar funding package to address our significant overcrowding.  In fact, it appears that effort was given little consideration until just before this year’s legislative session began.

As a life-long resident of Montgomery County and someone who has always made education my top priority, I respectfully ask that you and your colleagues take over where the local officials have failed, and enact legislation that will lead to Montgomery County receiving its fair share of state school construction funding.

Respectfully,

Douglas Duncan

The Montgomery Sentinel's Holden Wilen covered the jousting over the school funding fight, including commentary from some of the figures above (excerpt below):

MONTGOMERY SENTINEL: Doug Duncan and Ike Leggett are finding themselves at odds again, this time because Duncan says Leggett has not done enough to get Montgomery County its fair share of state construction funding....

[Delegate Anne] Kaiser also shrugged off Duncan’s comments about poor leadership, saying “he should know better.” “(Duncan) knows these things take time,” Kaiser said. “There is no question everyone thinks this is important....”

Leggett campaign officials defended the current county executive’s efforts. According to Scott Goldberg, Leggett’s campaign manager, Leggett has helped secure $262 million in school construction funds during the last seven years. “That is $60 million more than the county received under (Duncan’s) previous seven years—during which the economy was booming and budgets much easier...."

Lastly, the Montgomery County Council released a video last week making the case for increased school construction funding:

JUICE: Delaney Out for Governor, House of Cards Extortion, MoCo School Board Races, D4, D16, D45 & D46 & Much More

Below Maryland Juice provides a round of updates to news of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: REP. JOHN DELANEY NOT RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR // PLUS: A DEEPER DIVE INTO RECENT GUBERNATORIAL POLLS - The race for Maryland Governor is finally settling in with a pair of developments in the last week. First, Congressman John Delaney, who had been rumored to be weighing a run for the office has instead filed for re-election to Congress. The Washington Post's John Wagner reported on the development this week (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) filed for reelection Tuesday, a move likely to end speculation that he could run for governor. There had been chatter for more than a month about the first-term congressman from Montgomery County making a late entry into the Democratic field, fueled in part by a telephone poll that included Delaney’s name as an option for governor.... Delaney was spotted at the State Board of Elections office in Annapolis filing to run again for his 6th District seat. He did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment about the decision.

Meanwhile, a pair of fresh polls seems to confirm the current status of the Governor's race. We previously reported on a Baltimore Sun poll claiming the following results:

• Undecided - 40%
• Anthony Brown & Ken Ulman - 35%
• Doug Gansler & Jolene Ivey - 14%
• Heather Mizeur & Delman Coates - 10%

But now The Washington Post has released results of a gubernatorial poll showing very similar findings:

• Undecided 43%
• Anthony Brown & Ken Ulman 34%
• Doug Gansler & Jolene Ivey 15%
• Heather Mizeur & Delman Coates 8%

There are a few things to note here: 1) Brown has a sizeable lead right now (not surprising), 2) Mizeur is coming dangerously close to Gansler in both polls, and 3) there are a large number of undecided voters. All that being said, it is worth taking a closer look at one aspect of the polls. In The Washington Post survey results, if you strip the poll down to voters who lean Democratic and consider themselves likely voters, Brown's lead increases a bit (see question 4 in The Washington Post crosstabs):

• Anthony Brown & Ken Ulman 41%
• Doug Gansler & Jolene Ivey 19%
• Heather Mizeur & Delman Coates 10%

JUICE #2: KEVIN SPACEY WANTS $15 MILLION FROM MARYLAND TAXPAYERS // "HOUSE OF CARDS" THREATENING TO LEAVE MD WITHOUT A HANDOUT - Maryland Juice just started watching the second season of the popular Netflix series "House of Cards" last night. But this morning, I woke up to some irritating and ironic news about the Kevin Spacey series about political corruption. The Washington Post has reported that Maryland taxpayers have been subsidizing "House of Cards" to the tune of millions of dollars, and now the producers are demanding even more money or else they'll shoot in another state (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: A few weeks before Season 2 of “House of Cards” debuted online, the show’s production company sent Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley a letter with this warning: Give us millions more dollars in tax credits, or we will “break down our stage, sets and offices and set up in another state.”

A similar letter went to the speaker of the House of Delegates, Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), whose wife, Cynthia, briefly appeared in an episode of the Netflix series about an unscrupulous politician — played by Kevin Spacey — who manipulates, threatens and kills to achieve revenge and power.

In recent years, Maryland has spent more than $40 million to reward movie and television production companies that choose to film in the state, and most of that largesse has gone to “House of Cards.”

“This just keeps getting bigger and bigger” Del. Eric G. Luedtke (D-Montgomery), who until now has supported film tax credits, said at a hearing on the issue last Friday. “And my question is: When does it stop?...”

In his letter to O’Malley, Charlie Goldstein, a Media Rights Capital senior vice president, wrote that the filming schedule for Season 3 has been pushed back to June to ensure that a big enough increase has been approved....

JUICE #3: MULTIPLE CANDIDATES FILING TO CHALLENGE MOCO SCHOOL BOARD INCUMBENTS // PLUS: ALAN BOWSER FILES FOR MOCO CLERK OF COURT - The candidate filing deadline in Maryland is next Tuesday, but already some interesting things are happening in Montgomery County's local races. First, numerous candidates are filing to challenge incumbent Board of Education members. The school board races are non-partisan, so in the primaries, the top two vote-getters will advance to the General Election ballot. Here is the current list of candidates:

Board of Education At Large (open seat):

• Edward Amatetti
• Shebra Evans
• Merry Eisner Heidorn
• Jill Ortman-Fouse

Board of Education District 1:

• Judy Docca (incumbent)
• Kristin Trible

Board of Education District 3:

• Laurie Halverson
• Pat O'Neill (incumbent)

Board of Education District 5:

• Mike Durso (incumbent)

MOCO CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT RACE: Meanwhile, another unusual local race will be contested in the upcoming elections: Clerk of the Circuit Court. The current incumbent, Loretta Knight, is retiring at the end of her term this year. Two candidates are currently filed for her position in the Democratic Primary:

Clerk of the Circuit Court (open seat):

• Alan Bowser
• Barbara Meiklejohn

JUICE #4: TRANSGENDER NONDISCRIMINATION BILL PASSES OUT OF SENATE JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS COMMITTEE - The Maryland Senate's Judicial Proceedings Committee has finally passed a transgender nondiscrimination bill, after years of failed efforts. The shift toward civil rights puts the effort on track to finally pass this year. According to Equality Maryland, eight State Senators on the committee voted for the nondiscrimination effort:

1. Brian Frosh
2. Lisa Gladden
3. Jim Brochin
4. Jennie Forehand
5. Anthony Muse
6. Jamie Raskin
7. Norm Stone
8. Bobby Zirkin

JUICE #5: ISRAEL-PALESTINE POLITICS CLASH WITH ACADEMIC FREEDOM IN ANNAPOLIS // DEL. BEN KRAMER BILL BANS ACADEMICS FROM BOYCOTTS  - The Gazette's Kate Alexander reported last week that the politics of the Middle East and academic freedom are emerging as issues in Annapolis this session (excerpt below):

GAZETTE: An academic boycott of Israel by a U.S. academic association has Maryland lawmakers questioning how the state’s colleges and universities spend public funds. The American Studies Association — a national organization devoted to the interdisciplinary study of American culture and history — voted in December to boycott Israeli academic institutions.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County remained a dues-paying member of the association even after the vote to boycott, so Del. Benjamin F. Kramer has introduced a bill that would restrict the ability of universities and its faculty to spend public money on participation in organizations that engage in such boycotts....

University President Freeman Hrabowski and Provost Philip Rous have openly opposed the academic boycott.... Just as UMBC opposed the boycott, it vigorously opposes Kramer’s bill....

This is not the first time the legislature has questioned how Maryland universities spend public funds. In 2010, Perdue chicken farmers Alan and Kristen Hudson of Worcester County were sued by the Waterkeeper Alliance of New York over Chesapeake Bay pollution. The University of Maryland Environmental Law Clinic represented the plaintiffs....

“…[W]e believe that it constitutes a very serious threat to academic freedom and to the autonomy and integrity of the state’s publicly-supported colleges and universities,” Nathan Brown, president of the Middle East Studies Association of North America, said in a letter.... “Faculty in Maryland should not be subjected to a political litmus test concerning their involvement in academic organizations....”

Peace Action Montgomery issued the following email alert on this issue:

PEACE ACTION MONTGOMERY: ... Senate bill 647 and House bill 0998 would prohibit state financial aid for public colleges and universities that fund teachers' membership or participation in academic organizations that support boycotts against higher-eduction institutions in other countries....

Along with the Center for Constitutional Rights, the National Lawyers Guild, the ACLU, and the New York Times editorial board, we believe that this bill is an unconstitutional infringement of free speech and that it is very dangerous....

In coalition with many other groups in MD, we have joined an ad hoc coalition to oppose SB 647 and HB 0998. You can read more details about this bill, its background, and the broad-based opposition to it on the ad hoc coalition's Web site.... 

JUICE #6: IKE LEGGETT & DOUG DUNCAN CLASH OVER BIOTECH INCUBATOR IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY - As Montgomery County's race for Executive heats up, incumbent Ike Leggett and former Exec Doug Duncan are increasingly clashing over policy matters. The latest skirmish resolves around a Montgomery County biotech business incubator. The Washington Business Journal reported that Duncan threw the first punch on the issue (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL: Doug Duncan, the former Montgomery County executive who is running this year for his old job, issued a broadside Friday against the county's decision to close its largest biotech incubator.

In a guest commentary in this week's Business Journal, Duncan attacks what he refers to as a "questionable county action" to evict more than three dozen startups from the William Hanna Center for Innovation at Shady Grove to make way for a cybersecurity center.

The 60,000 square foot facility — also referred to as the Shady Grove Innovation Center — has been in operation for about 15 years. The vast majority of its occupants are biotechs, which make use of the lab space provided by the incubator. In its place will be a federally-funded "center of excellence" for non-defense cyber run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)....

Duncan's letter signals that the incubator's closure has spilled into the county executive race, where he is seeking to unseat two-term executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett. "In 2013, his seventh year in office, Leggett announced a new 'open for business' initiative. That’s certainly not the impression given to the companies that will be displaced," Duncan wrote. "Nor was it the message perceived by the biotech world, both in and beyond the county, which sees Montgomery County as a haven for fostering biotechnology and life science innovation...."

The Gazette's editorial board weighed in on the issue on the side of Ike Leggett (excerpt below):

GAZETTE: In Doug Duncan’s quest to reclaim the reins of Montgomery County political power, he has attacked Isiah Leggett’s decision to relocate some biotech businesses out of a Gaithersburg incubator. The move is to make room for the county’s effort to become a cybersecurity center for Maryland.

On this, Duncan is wrong and Leggett is right.

Duncan, who will face Leggett in the Democratic primary in June, believes the county should find a way to keep the biotech companies in place and find somewhere else for the cybersecurity businesses.... A new location to house cybersecurity start-ups would cost $3 million, the county says. The cost inside the William Hanna Center for Innovation: $750,000. Where would Duncan find the difference? He doesn’t say....

We appreciate Duncan’s desire to assist growing biotechs.... However, his recent actions cast him as a politician who has forgotten the financial difficulties of the last six years. Adding millions to the county’s bottom line looks like a 20th-century thing to do.

JUICE #7: GOP DEL. MICHAEL HOUGH CHALLENGING GOP SEN. DAVID BRINKLEY, CALLING HIM O'MALLEY'S "RUBBER STAMP" - Maryland Juice reader Howard Gorrell forwarded us news of intra-party battle between GOP lawmakers Del. Michael Hough and Sen. David Brinkley. Hough announced the Republican Primary challenge on a press release on his website (excerpt below):

MICHAEL HOUGH: ... Today Maryland State Delegate Michael Hough (Frederick & Washington Counties), announced he is running for state senate in district 4 (Frederick & Carroll Counties). Hough said, “Frederick and Carroll Counties deserve a true conservative Republican, not ‘O’Malley-lite.’ To quote one of my heroes President Ronald Reagan, we need to be a party of bold colors, not pale pastels....”

Hough concluded, “Senator David Brinkley’s record shows that he is nothing more than a rubber stamp for O’Malley’s and the Democrats’ liberal agenda. Frederick & Carroll counties deserve a state senator who will fight out-of-control taxes and stand firm for our conservative values.

JUICE #8: ROCKVILLE COUNCILMEMBER TOM MOORE LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN FOR MOCO COUNCIL DISTRICT 3 - Rockville City Councilmember Tom Moore hosted a kickoff event for his campaign for the MoCo Council District 3 this week. Incumbent Phil Andrews is vacating the seat to run for County Executive, and so far Gaithersburg Mayor Sid Katz, Gaithersburg Councilmember Ryan Spiegel, and activist Guled Kassim have announced plans to run for the seat. Below you can see a photo from Tom Moore's kickoff:

JUICE #9: JULIUS HENSON VIOLATING PROBATION TERMS BY RUNNING AGAINST D45 STATE SENATOR NATE MCFADDEN - Julius Henson, who was convicted of election fraud in a case involving robocalls he created on behalf of GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Ehrlich, had previously announced a Democratic Primary challenge to D45 State Senator Nate McFadden. But The Baltimore Sun's Luke Broadwater reports that Henson may be violating the terms of his probation by running for office (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Veteran political consultant Julius Henson pledged Wednesday to continue running for a Maryland Senate seat even though the state says that may violate the terms of his probation.

“Whether I’m free or in prison, the contest will go on and I plan to win this race,” Henson, 64, said during an afternoon news conference in the living room of his East Baltimore home. He vowed to “retire” longtime Sen. Nathaniel J. McFadden, whom he plans to challenge in the June 24 Democratic primary.

Henson is serving three years probation stemming from his conviction in a high-profile election-fraud case. As part of the sentence, Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Emanuel Brown ordered that Henson “shall not work in any political campaign paid/volunteer during probation....”

At issue is whether Henson is prohibited from running for office or only from working on another candidate’s campaign. Gerard Shields, a spokesman for the state prison system, said Henson’s probation agent alerted the court of the potential violation after learning that Henson was planning to run for state Senate. A hearing before Judge Brown is scheduled for Feb. 27....

JUICE #10: KYLE LIERMAN OPTS AGAINST D16 CAMPAIGN // PLUS: SISTER BROOKE LIERMAN POISED TO WIN D46 DELEGATE SEAT - Bethesda Magazine's Lou Peck today reported that former D16 Delegate candidate Kyle Lierman has opted against a 2014 run for office (excerpt below):

BETHESDA MAGAZINE: Kyle Lierman, who had been mulling a race for an open state Senate seat, has decided to forgo a run in Bethesda/Potomac-based District 16 this year, sources said late Thursday.

His decision all but assures Delegate Susan Lee’s election this year to the seat being vacated by Sen. Brian Frosh, who is running for state attorney general. With only four days until the filing deadline for the June 24 primary, no other Democrats have filed for the slot – and no one else appears to be on the horizon in the overwhelmingly Democratic district.  

Lierman came within several hundred votes of capturing the Democratic nomination for a state delegate seat in District 16 four years ago, and also had been mulling a reprise run for delegate. His move further reinforces the status of health policy advocate Hrant Jamgochian and attorney Marc Korman as the strong favorites this year to capture two open delegate seats created by Lee’s run for Senate and Delegate Bill Frick’s candidacy for the attorney general slot also sought by Frosh....

BROOKE LIERMAN SURGING: Meanwhile, Kyle's sister Brooke Lierman is a candidate for Delegate in Baltimore-based District 46. Brooke looks well-poised to win a Delegate seat given the broad support her campaign is receiving. First, the D46 Democratic incumbents (Senator Bill Ferguson & Delegates Pete Hammen and Luke Clippinger) have formed a slate with Brooke Lierman. Additionally, Congressman Elijah Cummings, Baltimore Councilmember Edward Reisinger, the League of Conservation Voters, and others have also endorsed Brooke for D46 Delegate. Dems in other parts of the state have apparently taken notice, as we received a statement of endorsement for Brooke Lierman from MoCo Del. Jeff Waldstreicher (excerpt below):

JEFF WALDSTREICHER: We need more progressive voices in Annapolis. We need Brooke Lierman. I endorse my friend Brooke without hesitation or reservation. She is the best candidate to ensure our great state reaches its full potential--a green, safe, & prosperous Maryland....

JUICE #11: ADVOCATES SEEK TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM & MASS INCARCERATION WITH THE "MARYLAND SECOND CHANCE ACT" - Last year, Maryland Juice wrote about a worthy effort by some Maryland lawmakers to bring some sanity to our criminal "justice" system by allowing residents to shield minor crimes from public view after a few years (think minor nonviolent misdemeanor offenses and simple pot possession charges, as examples). Currently, a conviction for a minor crime can stick on one's public record for years and create unnecessary obstacles to employment. This session, advocates are making another effort to pass reform legislation.

The 2014 shielding legislation is now titled the Maryland Second Chance Act of 2014.  This year's proposed legislation would allow persons to petition the courts to shield certain nonviolent misdemeanor convictions from public view.  Law enforcement, courts and certain employer would maintain access to shielded records.

Last year, the shielding legislation came very close to passing, but fell victim to the drama of the House Judiciary and the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee over an unrelated bill.  This year, however, there is a strong chance that it could pass given current local (and national) conversations around mitigating the collateral consequences of those with a criminal record - particularly those convicted of nonviolent misdemeanor offenses and persons and color.   It won't be easy, but at least folks are interested in Annapolis.  Sponsors this year are Senators Jamie Raskin and Verna Jones-Rodwell and Delegates Curt Anderson and Jeff Waldstreicher.  The fact sheet for the bill (from the Job Opportunities Task Force) is below:

Maryland Second Chance Act 2014 Fact Sheet

JUICE #12: MOCO COUNCIL HOLDING PUBLIC HEARINGS ON CLEAN ELECTIONS PROPOSAL - The Montgomery County Council is debating a program for public financing of local elections (aka "clean elections"), and they have scheduled a public hearing for Tuesday, March 4th, at 7:30 pm.

Under a public funding program, candidates for County Council or County Executive would raise low-dollar donations from individual donors in their district to qualify for public funds, and in exchange turn down large donations from wealthy donors or corporations.

• To testify, call 240-777-7803 and ask to be added to the witness list. Make sure you speak to a live person as leaving a message on the voicemail system will not sign you up on the list.

The bill file, including the language of the bill, is available at the County Council website. You can watch a video from the press conference launching this initiative below:



JUICE #13: STATE OF BLACK MONTGOMERY EVENT SOLD OUT FOR THIS SATURDAY - Maryland Juice received an invitation to a forum titled "The State of Black Montgomery." The event this Saturday is sold out, but there may be standing room available for late registrants. Here's the event description:

The African American Democratic Club of Montgomery County (AADCMC), the Montgomery County Young Democrats (MCYD), and other organizations throughout the metropolitan area are joining forces to convene a call to action forum that will explore and address topics pertinent to the black community. The State of Black Montgomery will bring together Montgomery County’s elected officials, business leaders, community activists and the community at large to advance the successes of the black community in Montgomery County.

Panel Topics Include:

• Empowering and Engaging Our Youth
• Increasing Our Political Participation 
• Addressing Our Social Justice Issues 
• Advancing Our Economic Power

POLL: Majority of Marylanders Support Marijuana Legalization // PLUS: Montgomery Democrats Rally for Minimum Wage Hike

Ahead of the 2014 legislative session, Maryland Juice has been tracking the activities of advocacy groups and activists in the state. It seems clear that there is a lot of organizing happening behind two policy areas: ending the War on Drugs and increasing the minimum wage. Below we provide updates on both issues, including a new poll on marijuana reform and coverage of a press conference yesterday on raising the state's minimum wage.

JUICE #1: STRONG MAJORITY OF MARYLAND VOTERS SUPPORT MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION - This morning, Maryland Juice received the following press release from the ACLU and the Marijuana Policy Project announcing new poll results showing a majority of Maryland voters support taxing and regulating marijuana in the same manner we treat alcohol sales. Meanwhile, a supermajority support removing jail time as a penalty for possession (details below):

PRESS RELEASE

Poll: Majority of Maryland Voters Support Regulating and Taxing Marijuana; Only 38% Opposed

More than two-thirds support removing criminal penalties for marijuana possession and replacing them with a civil fine similar to a parking ticket

Statements below from the ACLU of Maryland and the Marijuana Policy Project

BALTIMORE — A majority of Maryland voters (53%) support making marijuana legal for adults and regulating it like alcohol, according to a survey conducted last weekend by Public Policy Polling. Only 38% said they were opposed.

The poll also found that more than two-thirds (68%) support removing criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and replacing them with a civil offense punishable by a fine of up to $100 with no possibility of jail time. Only 26% said they were opposed. Under current Maryland law, it is a criminal offense for a person to possess a small amount of marijuana, and he or she can be sentenced to up to 90 days in jail and fined up to $500.

The survey of 678 randomly selected Maryland voters was conducted September 27-29 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8%. The full results are available at http://www.aclu-md.org/press_room/147.

Statement from Rachelle Yeung, legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project:

"Most Maryland voters recognize that marijuana prohibition has failed and believe it is time to adopt a more sensible approach. By regulating marijuana like alcohol we can take marijuana sales out of the underground market and put them behind the counters of legitimate, tax-paying businesses. Marijuana is objectively less harmful than alcohol, and it is time to treat it that way."

Statement from Sara Love, public policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland:

"Our current marijuana prohibition policies are grossly ineffective. It's time to take a commonsense approach to public safety and criminal justice. We should not be wasting resources arresting people simply for possessing marijuana. Enforcement of these misguided marijuana laws is having a disproportionate and detrimental impact on communities of color. A majority of voters agree it is time for a change."

# # #

POLL: Majority of Maryland Voters Support Marijuana Legalization

JUICE #2: MONTGOMERY COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE SUPPORT FOR MARYLAND MINIMUM WAGE HIKE -Yesterday, advocates supporting a minimum wage hike in Maryland gathered in Takoma Park for a press conference announcing support from a range of elected officials. Speakers at the Raise Maryland event included County Executive Ike Leggett, Sen. Jamie Raskin, Del. Anne Kaiser, and County Councilmembers Marc Elrich and Valerie Ervin. Other attendees included Del. Sheila Hixson, and representatives from CASA, Jews United for Justice, Progressive Maryland, AFSCME and more. Below Maryland Juice provides photos and a press release from, Raise Maryland:

VIEW MD JUICE'S PRESS CONFERENCE PHOTOS

PRESS RELEASE

Montgomery County elected officials pledge to raise Maryland’s minimum wage
Momentum is building for an increase to $10.10 per hour by 2016 for state’s lowest paid workers
Takoma Park, MD – Montgomery County legislators are pledging to pass a bill raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour during the 2014 Maryland General Assembly. On October 1, the Montgomery County Council unanimously passed a resolution supporting raising the rate for the state’s lowest wage workers.

At a press conference in Takoma Park, Del. Anne Kaiser and Sen. Jamie Raskin, co-chairs of the Montgomery County legislative delegation detailed why they believe that it is the right time to increase the minimum wage in Maryland.  Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett and Montgomery County Council members Valerie Ervin and Marc Elrich also spoke at the event.

“Raising the minimum wage is a top priority for the upcoming legislative session. And it’s not enough to just pass any minimum wage increase,” said Sen. Raskin. “We will be advocating for a strong bill that raises the rate to $10.10, indexes the minimum wage to inflation and includes a raise for tipped workers.”

The proposed legislation would raise Maryland’s minimum wage in three steps to $10.10 per hour by 2016 and index it to the cost of living thereafter so that it doesn’t lose value over time. The legislation also incorporates an increase for tipped workers (from 50 percent to 70 percent of the prevailing minimum wage).

“It is time for the General Assembly to act on wages, to raise the standard for all workers,” said Del. Kaiser. “That includes tipped workers – restaurant workers, barbers, nail technicians, car wash employees – everyone who depends on tips as part of their income.”

Momentum is building for Maryland to increase the state’s minimum wage during the upcoming 2014 session of the Maryland General Assembly.  The Baltimore City Council also recently passed a unanimous resolution calling for an increase and each of the Democratic 2014 gubernatorial candidates have announced their support for a raise.

“With passage of this resolution, Montgomery County stands united in support of higher pay for our workers and building our county and state economy,” said County Executive Leggett. “An increase will also stimulate business and spending and we always welcome more business here in Montgomery County.”

The press conference was held at Capital City Cheesecake, a café and bakery in Takoma Park.  Meaghan Murphy, who owns the business with her sister, spoke in support of a wage increase. “Even though it’s a challenge to meet this higher wage, at the end of the day we’re not in business for solely our own benefit,” said Murphy. “We shouldn’t be in business if we can’t provide another dollar or more per hour to our workers.”

Councilman member Elrich, who introduced the measure, also addressed concerns about small business, saying, “We hear from the business lobby that a raise in the minimum wage will hurt business. They say that it’s a job killer and small businesses will be most affected. In fact, across Maryland, 71 percent of all low-wage workers are employed by businesses with more than 50 employees, like big box retailers and fast food restaurants.”

“We talk about understanding the face of poverty, but it faces we see every day in Montgomery County – working families trying to put food on the table, ensure a quality education for their kids and keep up with bill payments,” said Ervin. “With one of the highest standards of living in the state, we are leaving our low wage workers behind.”

A low-wage worker, Wilfred Mokoko, also spoke at the event, detailing the struggles he faces living on the minimum wage.  “At the start, the wages were fair, but as the cost of living has increased, I saw my wages were too low. The Ride On bus fare has increased from $1.20 to $1.80.  To many people these changes do not make a difference, but they matter to me. Some weeks, I spend more than $20 on bus transportation. When you make $7.25 an hour, this really hurts.”

Research has found that approximately 472,000 Marylanders would benefit from the increase, putting $466 million more in their pockets in the next two years. At the same time, businesses would benefit from nearly half a billion dollars in new consumer spending and would create more than 4,000 new full-time jobs as they expand to meet increased demand.

###

Raise Maryland is a diverse coalition of community, labor, immigrant, civil rights and faith organizations that seek to pass a statewide minimum wage increase and index it to inflation.

JUICE: Doug Gansler's Shortlist of Running Mates, Garagiola = Lobbyist, Mizeur Pushes Crim Justice, St. Mary's Living Wage

Below Maryland Juice provides a quick round-up of recent news regarding politics in the Free State:

JUICE #1: DOUG GANSLER'S SHORT LIST OF POSSIBLE LT. GOVERNOR CANDIDATES - The Washington Post today published a short list of potential running mates for Attorney General Doug Gansler's gubernatorial campaign. Their write up mentions not only candidates who may be under consideration, but also a few who are indicating they are not interested in the #2 spot. Below you can see a few names under consideration, but the list of folks not seeking the LG slot includes Sen. Catherine Pugh, Del. Adrienne Jones, and author Wes Moore (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Douglas F. Gansler has narrowed his search for a running mate to a handful of names and is likely to announce his pick next month, his advisers said Monday.

Several African American officials from Baltimore and Prince George’s County are apparently in the mix. Baltimore Comptroller Joan M. Pratt (D) confirmed in an interview that she recently talked to Gansler about the lieutenant governor position....

Several state legislators, including Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Prince George’s) and Del. Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. (D-Baltimore), have also had conversations with Gansler about the No. 2 slot, according to people with knowledge of the conversations but who were not authorized to speak on behalf of Gansler’s campaign....

Del. Melony G. Griffith (D-Prince George’s), who previously led her county House delegation, has also had discussions with Gansler about his ticket, according to several of Griffith’s colleagues. Griffith declined to comment on her future political plans in a brief interview Monday....

JUICE #2: SEN. ROB GARAGIOLA LEAVES ANNAPOLIS TO BECOME LOBBYIST - This isn't a huge surprise, but outgoing District 15 State Senator Rob Garagiola is revolving into a new role as a lobbyist for one of Maryland's top lobbying firms, Alexander & Cleaver. The Washington Post yesterday reported on Garagiola's new role, which will include lobbying Montgomery County officials until the 90-day ban on lobbying his former colleagues expires (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Robert J. Garagiola, who stepped down this month as majority leader of the Maryland Senate, has joined Alexander & Cleaver, a law firm with a major lobbying presence in Annapolis. Garagiola, a Montgomery County Democrat, will manage the firm’s new Montgomery County office, Alexander & Cleaver said in a news release Monday morning.

Garagiola said in an interview that he plans initially to focus on practicing law and might do some local government relations work, but hopes to focus on Montgomery County rather than Annapolis. “There is a lot to be done in Rockville,” he said. “I’ll re-evaluate state-level lobbying in the future.” Under Maryland law, former legislators are barred from assisting clients in Annapolis during the first 90-day legislative session after their departure....

JUICE #3: "WIRE" ACTOR SONJA SOHN HIGHLIGHT'S HEATHER MIZEUR'S COMMITMENT TO MEANINGFUL CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS - Delegate Heather Mizeur has been running an issue-centric campaign in her quest for the office of Maryland Governor. She's previously come out aggressively as an opponent of fracking and helped re-spark interest in justice for Ethan Saylor, a Frederick man with Downs Syndrome, who was killed by off-duty police while trying to stay for a second showing of a movie. But with the recent pushback on the War on Drugs and mass incarceration issues by the Obama administration, it appears Mizeur is staking out space in this increasingly hot issue area. Last week, The Baltimore Sun published an op-ed by Sonja Sohn, an actor who played Detective Kima Greggs on the popular TV series "The Wire," highlighting Mizeur's commitment to criminal justice reform (excerpt below):

SONJA SOHN VIA BALTIMORE SUN: It was encouraging for the Obama administration to recently propose finally ending federal mandatory minimum sentencing for non-violent drug offenses.... I applaud Attorney General Doug Gansler, who plans to run for governor, for addressing our alarming recidivism rates.

But we need lawmakers and leaders with a larger vision. We will only achieve meaningful reform by addressing systemic, generational problems.... Proposals like giving wireless tablets to inmates miss the larger point about where the problems begin in the first place....

[Heather Mizeur] talks about shifting millions in state resources away from more walls and bars and instead investing in affirmative opportunities for youth. She proposes reducing penalties for low-level drug offenses that incarcerate far too many non-violent offenders.... She envisions a system that no longer stacks the deck by making it impossible to find a good job or decent housing and by restricting voting rights and the ability to serve on juries. We still make it nearly impossible for former inmates to ever become full members of society again....

JUICE #4: FACULTY & STUDENTS AT ST. MARY'S COLLEGE PROPOSE LIVING WAGE FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES TO COMBAT TUITION SPIKES  - In the midst of a growing regional and national debate on the record high wealth gap and wage standards in America, advocates at Maryland's St. Mary's College are proposing a living wage for school employees and salary caps to help rein in rapidly escalating tuition costs. Check out the press release below:

PRESS RELEASE

St. Mary’s College Wage Plan First of its Kind in Nation
St. Mary’s City, Maryland, Sept. 2013: Faculty, staff and students at St. Mary’s College of Maryland are proposing a new salary structure they say will increase wages for the lowest paid while reining in college costs. The innovative plan is the first of its kind in the nation.

Titled “St. Mary’s Wages, the St. Mary’s Way,” the proposal would guarantee a living wage to all full time employees of the College and place a cap on faculty, administrative, and presidential salaries. The proposal’s authors say it reflects the mission of the State’s only public honors college.

“We are a public college that values ‘social responsibility and civic-mindedness’ along with the goal of ‘promoting and maintaining a community built on respect,’” said Dr. Laraine Glidden, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Emerita. “I can think of no better way to demonstrate that we live what is in our catalog than by advocating for a living wage for all, paid for by limits on the highest earnings.”

The proposal’s supporters argue the caps on higher salaries and initiatives to stem the growth of non-faculty administrative positions would eliminate one of the drivers of the cost of college education. They hope to limit future tuition increases and improve the College’s ability to implement its mission of inclusiveness and affordability.

“Affordability is important when it comes to maintaining the diversity of the student body, which matters to me and my classmates,” said senior computer science major Ashok Chandwaney. “This proposal can help keep St. Mary’s affordable by ending the insane and interlocked upward spiral of tuition and executive salaries that’s happening everywhere.”

The subject of wages has long been a point of interest at St. Mary’s College. In 2006, a student campaign ended with students staging a Living Wage Sit-In in the President’s office. In 2012, students launched the “Living Wage Campaign” culminating in a hundred-strong march of students, faculty and staff across campus.

“St. Mary’s Wages, the St. Mary’s Way,” is available online at www.stmaryswages.org.

Images of past events are available upon request.

###

VIDEO: Maryland Juice Blogger David Moon Asks Doug Gansler About Drug War // PLUS: Obama Changes Tune on Marijuana

UPDATE: Maryland Juice must have a good read on where progressive policy is headed, because The Washington Post reported today that the Obama administration will not fight states that have legalized marijuana distribution (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: The Obama administration on Thursday said it will not stand in the way of Colorado, Washington and other states where voters have supported legalizing marijuana either for medical or recreational use, as long as those states maintain strict rules involving distribution of the drug.

In a memo sent Thursday to U.S. attorneys in all 50 states, Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole detailed the administration’s new stance.... The memo directs federal prosecutors to focus their resources on eight specific areas of enforcement, rather than targeting individual marijuana users, which even President Obama has acknowledged is not the best use of federal manpower. Those areas include preventing distribution of marijuana to minors, preventing the sale of pot to cartels and gangs, preventing sales to other states where the drug remains illegal under state law, and stopping the growing of marijuana on public lands....

BACKGROUND: About two weeks ago, Maryland Juice attended a Montgomery County forum with Attorney General Doug Gansler on transportation issues. This was only one day after Gansler had been roundly criticized in the media for implying that Lt. Governor Anthony Brown's campaign was focused on the color of the candidate's skin. But rather than pile-on the follow-up coverage of the remarks, I decided to pursue a more substantive line of questioning for Doug Gansler on race issues in Maryland.

At the August 13th forum with Gansler, I had the perfect opportunity to jump into the conversation, when an audience member started asking Gansler about U.S. DOJ Chief Eric Holder's recent decision to focus on addressing the issue of mass incarceration. Indeed, Holder recently announced a new effort to reform mandatory minimum sentencing rules and use of prosecutorial discretion. Gansler's response to the audience member focused on his newly announced effort to facilitate the re-entry of prisoners into the civilian population, so I decided to ask a follow-up question.

THE PERILS OF SMOKING WHILE BLACK IN MARYLAND - It seemed to me that Gansler's focus on re-entry issues was only 1/4 of a response to the problem of mass incarceration, as re-entry deals with people leaving prison, without addressing whether these non-violent offenders should be incarcerated in the first place.  I've been noting for months that it is impossible to tackle America's lust for imprisoning the poor and people of color without addressing our decades-long failed "War on Drugs" policy advanced through Presidents ranging from Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and now Obama. Though Democratic policymakers around the nation have begun aggressively attacking this problem at its roots, Maryland Democrats have ordinarily dragged their feet on such issues.  The result is a cost of nearly $200 million a year to prosecute marijuana crimes in Maryland, and the U.S. now has the world's largest prison population -- despite having a much smaller population than say, China. Even worse, the ACLU recently reported that black residents of Maryland are over 3 times more likely than white residents to be busted for pot crimes -- despite equal rates of use between the races.

Below you can watch an exclusive video of Doug Gansler's response to a problem that the ACLU has dubbed "Smoking While Black." In the comments below, Gansler states: "It's a real issue and the whole marijuana issue has been dealt with I think appropriately, differently in many states. Where we go with that here, I think we're actually taking a very good approach to it in my own personal view. But the racial component is something that should always be of concern... We have to have a full understanding that it's disproportionately affecting minority communities."



Let's see if Attorney General Doug Gansler (and other gubernatorial candidates) will walk the talk when the issue emerges again in the next legislative session.

JuiceBlender: Gubernatorial Candidates Brown, Gansler & Mizeur Step Out on Issues // Plus: Will House Boot Dwyer?

Below Maryland Juice writer Dan Furmansky presents a round-up of recent news of interest to politicos:

It looks like the pace of the gubernatorial campaign is about to pick up speed. Our declared and soon-to-be-declared Democratic gubernatorial candidates -- Anthony Brown, Heather Mizeur, and Doug Gansler -- are stepping up their games and focusing on some key issues. For those of us who prefer ideas to platitudes, it will be interesting to see what issues the candidates highlight.

JUICE #1: HEATHER MIZEUR RE-OPENS CONVERSATION ABOUT FREDERICK MAN W/ DOWNS SYNDROME KILLED BY COPS - First up, Heather Mizeur is shining the light on ensuring justice and appropriate treatment for people with developmental disabilities by law enforcement. Del. Mizeur this week called on the Governor to launch a state inquiry into the case of a Frederick County man with Down syndrome who died while being arrested by police moonlighting as security guards. The man was dragged away when he stayed to watch “Zero Dark Thirty” a second time. The autopsy ruled the death a homicide by asphyxia, and advocacy groups like the ARC of Maryland claimed that with better training, the officers would have realized there was another way to work with an individual who was at greater risk of unintentional harm. Del. Mizeur suggests O’Malley have his health department investigate local and statewide policies on treatment of individuals with disabilities and establish a task force to implement statewide standards.

Full Story: Washington Post: Mizeur calls for state action after death of Frederick County man with Down syndrome

JUICE #2: DOUG GANSLER TACKLES HOW TO TRANSITION EX-OFFENDERS TO LIFE OUTSIDE PRISON WALLS - In the Doug Gansler camp, the Attorney General is taking on the high rate at which ex-offenders return to prison in Maryland, a crucial issue since ex-offenders return to prison more than 40 percent of the time in this state.  The Attorney General took a dig at Lt. Gov. Brown by saying there has been “no strategic, well-coordinated plan” to reduce recidivism in the current administration.

It’s important to note that the rate of recidivism has dropped almost eight points since 2007, according to the Governor’s Office of Crime & Control, who credit the drop “to the many partnerships and evidenced-based programming undertaken by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services since 2007.”

Regardless of the finger pointing, Maryland, the 19th most populated state, has ranked 8th most violent state in the country, according to the Census Bureau’s Statistical Abstract of the United States. Baltimore has managed to decrease its violent crime rate slightly the past few years, but still has the sixth-highest homicide rate of any U.S. city with a population above 100,000. Clearly there is far more work to be done.

The Attorney General’s suggestions include making technology such as Android tablets available to prisoners to aid their education while behind bars; designating a deputy secretary in the state’s corrections department to oversee the “re-entry” of ex-offenders into society; shielding criminal convictions from potential employers in cases where ex-offenders have stayed “clean” for five years after release; and investing more heavily in subsidized transitional housing for those recently released from prison.

Full Story: Washington Post: Gansler proposes steps to ease transitions for former prisoners

JUICE #3: ANTHONY BROWN HIGHLIGHTS FUNDING FOR THE MOCO & PRINCE GEORGE'S PURPLE LINE - Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown is hoping to ride the Purple Line to electoral success in Montgomery County. Earlier this week, the Lt. Governor joined Gov. O’Malley at the Bethesda metro to announce a state commitment of $1 billion to eight county road, rail and bus priorities, with $680 million going to the Purple Line. The rest is expected to come from the federal government, local governments, and private partnerships. The new funding was made possible by the new gas tax passed in this year’s General Assembly, which notably was opposed by the Attorney General. The announcement was met with predicted opposition from those living near Capital Crescent Trail, with some arguing it’s a bad idea to have a private company build and run the light rail system.

Full Story: Gazette: Most of new $1B transportation package for Montgomery is for Purple Line

JUICE #4: DRUNK-BOATING TEA PARTIER DON DWYER MAY BE BOOTED FROM MARYLAND HOUSE OF DELEGATES? - Meanwhile, could Del. Don Dwyer get booted from the House? Earlier this week he entered a guilty plea in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court to a drunken boating charge stemming from a collision last year that injured seven people, including a five-year-old girl who suffered a fractured skull. At the time of the accident, his blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit. The Washington Post reported on the possible consequences for Delegate Dwyer (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Because all of the charges filed against Dwyer were misdemeanors and none were directly related to his job as a state legislator, he has not been under threat of automatic expulsion from the General Assembly.

But House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) has said that he expects that a legislative ethics committee will examine the episode. That panel could recommend disciplinary actions ranging up to expulsion to the full House of Delegates.

This could be interesting, since Del. Dwyer is notoriously unpopular among his House colleagues.

- Dan Furmansky

O'Malley to Name Mary Ellen Barbera Chief Judge of Maryland's Highest Court // PLUS: Her Views on Warrantless DNA Searches

JUDGE MARY ELLEN BARBERA TO BECOME CHIEF JUDGE IN MARYLAND - A knowledgeable source indicates that Governor Martin O'Malley has selected Judge Mary Ellen Barbera to replace Robert Bell as the Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals (our highest court). The change in leadership results from Bell having hit a mandatory retirement age. Judge Barbera currently sits on the Court of Appeals, so this is essentially a promotion from within. Barbera was first appointed in 2008 and appears to come from a law enforcement/prosecutor's mindset, having previously worked in the Attorney General's office representing the state against those appealing convictions. Her bio also indicates a past focus on public safety and victims' rights. The Baltimore Sun's Erin Cox confirmed the news this morning, focusing on the fact that Barbera will be the first woman to helm the Court of Appeals (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Maryland achieved several milestones Tuesday as Gov. Martin O'Malley named the first woman to lead what will be the first female majority on the state's top court.... Bell is required by law to retire from the Court of Appeals when he turns 70 on Saturday.

O'Malley elevated Court of Appeals Judge Mary Ellen Barbera to be chief — the highest-ranking judge in Maryland — and he appointed Court of Special Appeals Judge Shirley M. Watts to take the seat of retiring Chief Judge Robert M. Bell.... Watts, 54, was appointed to the Court of Special Appeals in 2011, following nine years as a Baltimore City Circuit Court judge and stints as an assistant state's attorney and federal public defender.

JUDGE BARBERA'S DEFENSE OF WARRANTLESS DNA SEARCHES - Maryland Juice admits to not knowing much about Barbera's legal philosophy, though a simple Google search turns up some commentary from her defending Maryland's recent controversial law allowing police to gather and warehouse DNA samples from those arrested for certain crimes. The Supreme Court's recent 5-4 ruling upholding the controversial law leaves the door open for collection of DNA from suspects whether or not they are actually convicted. Those caught in the DNA dragnet could later have their genetic material searched by the police for completely unrelated crimes, potentially allowing cops to engage in DNA fishing expeditions -- without a search warrant or articulable suspicion.

The Public Defenders office criticized the law, and a 5-2 majority of the Maryland Court of Appeals thought Maryland lawmakers went too far. But Barbera was one of the two dissenting Judges who thought that allowing police to collect and warehouse the DNA of crime suspects for future use was a kosher practice. The Daily Record's Steven Lash wrote about the battle of legal opinions between Judge Glenn Harrell who wrote the majority opinion ruling DNA dragnets illegal, and Barbera, who defended the practice (excerpt below):

DAILY RECORD:  “We simply will not allow warrantless, suspicionless searches of biological materials without a showing that accurate identification was not possible using ‘traditional’ methods,” [Judge Glenn] Harrell added....

Other courts that have considered the issue have reached different conclusions — as did Judge Mary Ellen Barbera, who dissented from the King decision, saying arrestees have a “significantly diminished expectation of privacy” with regard to police taking a DNA sample from them....

As The Huffington Post noted, the Supreme Court recently upheld Maryland's DNA dragnets, but Attorney General Doug Gansler (who pushed for the law) admitted it could lead to a slippery slope (excerpt below):

HUFFINGTON POST: Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler agreed that there's nothing stopping his state from expanding DNA collection from those arrested for serious crimes to those arrested for lesser ones like shoplifting....

Barbera gets to head the Court of Appeals for nine years. Here's to hoping she brings more balance on due process, criminal justice and civil liberties issues than her views on DNA dragnets would suggest!

GOOD MD BILLS: 1) Privacy for Minor Crimes, 2) Ban Shackling While Pregnant, 3) End Pollution Subsidies, 4) End of Life Care

HELP THESE GOOD MARYLAND BILLS PASS THIS SESSION - There have been many high profile pieces of legislation debated in Annapolis this session (eg: death penalty, gun control, and the gas tax). But out of sight of the cameras and press corps are a number of common-sense proposals to solve real problems, albeit on a smaller or less sexy scale. Below Maryland Juice highlights several "good" bills that could use more attention (and your help) right now.  Details on our four highlighted bills are below, and you can find your elected officials' contact information online.

GOOD BILL #1: END MARYLAND'S SUBSIDIES FOR "BLACK LIQUOR" // DEL. CHARLEY BARKLEY OF MOCO MAY BE KEY VOTE - Delegate Johnny Olszewski & Senator Rob Garagiola have sponsored worthwhile legislation to promote the environment and end unnecessary corporate welfare in Maryland. HB 1102 & SB 684 would close a loophole in Maryland's renewable energy laws that allow old polluting facilities to qualify for renewable energy credits.

Under current state law, Marylanders pay a subsidy each month on their electric bills that actually rewards producers of greenhouse gas pollutants and other air toxins. Old paper mills -- most of them out of state -- currently exploit a loophole in state law to claim renewable energy credits for burning a substance called “black liquor.” In 2011, almost half of Maryland's renewable energy dollars (nearly $4 million) went to out of state facilities that do not need or deserve this subsidy.

HB1102/SB 684 will phase out old biomass facilities and only allow new and efficient biomass to qualify for renewable energy credits. The bill also has a provision that continues financial support for the one Maryland paper mill (Luke Mill). The bill recently passed the Senate Finance Committee by a bipartisan 9-2 vote, but lobbyists (mostly representing out-of-state paper mills) have descended on Annapolis to kill the bill in the House.

ACT NOW TO ADVANCE THE BILL IN THE HOUSE ECONOMIC MATTERS COMMITTEE: Sources indicate that a vote on "black liquor" subsidies will be held in the House Economic Matters Committee any day now and Delegate Charles Barkley from District 39 in Montgomery County is a key committee vote. Please give him a call or send him an email today to urge his support on HB 1102 at charles.barkley@house.state.md.us or (410) 841-3001. The Chesapeake Climate Action Network's action alert on the "black liquor" subsidies provides a quick summary of  HB1102:

CHESAPEAKE CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK: Maryland's most important clean energy law -- the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) -- was intended to ensure that an increasing percentage of our electricity comes from true clean energy sources, like wind and solar power. Instead, a big loophole is currently allowing nearly half of our state's renewable energy dollars to pay for dirty sources of energy -- a paper mill by-product called "black liquor" and wood waste. Spending Maryland ratepayer money on these old, polluting energy sources is a rip-off for our climate, our health and our economy. A key committee vote on a bill to close this loophole -- HB 1102 -- could come as soon as today, and one of YOUR state delegates will help decide the outcome.

 [ ACT NOW: CONTACT HOUSE MEMBERS RE: HB1102 ]  

GOOD BILL #2: ALLOW RESIDENTS TO SHIELD MINOR NONVIOLENT "CRIMES" FROM PUBLIC VIEW AFTER A FEW YEARS // CONTACT STATE SENATORS - A group of Maryland lawmakers is attempting to bring some sanity to our criminal "justice" system by allowing residents to shield minor crimes from public view after a few years (think minor nonviolent misdemeanor offenses and simple pot possession charges, as examples). Currently, a conviction for one of these minor crimes could stick on one's public record for years and create unnecessary obstacles to employment. Delegates Curt Anderson & Jeff Waldstreicher, alongside Senators Verna Jones-Rodwell & Brian Frosh have proposed a legislative fix in the form of HB 1006 and SB 701. Some of the crimes that can be shielded under the proposed law include:

• possession of alcohol in an open container
• marijuana possession
• possession of bongs and other drug paraphernalia
• disturbing the peace
• theft under $100
• public intoxication
• littering under 100 pounds 

CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATORS TO SUPPORT THIS COMMON SENSE REFORM - This effort is a priority of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, due to the disproportionate impact a criminal record has on minorities.  On Thursday February 28th, over 400 people from around the state came to Annapolis to urge legislators to support the shielding of nonviolent misdemeanor convictions. Thanks to these efforts, the HB1006 passed the House of Delegates by a 99 to 38 vote, but the measure has been watered down and now heads to the State Senate for approval. Maryland's Job Opportunities Task Force sent out an action alert this morning to help restore some of pieces of the bill that were removed in the House (details below):

JOB OPPORTUNITIES TASK FORCE: As some of you may know, the House shielding bill (HB 1006) passed out of the House Judiciary Committee this past Friday with bi-partisan support and successfully cleared the entire House chamber yesterday.  While we are pleased the House recognizes the value of shielding, House bill 1006 contains restrictive language that significantly limits its impact including the following:

• It would restrict shielding to only one (1) eligible stand-alone conviction, per lifetime, that is chargeable by citation (see attached list of crimes),
• Only convictions for crimes committed while under the age of 26 are eligible for shielding,
• Removes an offense of prostitution from the list of misdemeanors eligible for shielding and
• Individuals could petition the courts no earlier than 5-years after satisfying any parole, probation or mandatory supervision. 

The Senate version of this bill does not have these limits.  Senate committee members need to hear from you. Please take a moment to call and/or email members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and urge them to reject harmful amendments that would impose an age limit and restrict the number of convictions eligible for shielding.... With less than 2 weeks left of session, things are moving very quickly and the Senate Committee could act in the next few days. A phone call and/or email can go a long way. 

[ ACT NOW: CONTACT SENATE JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS RE: HB1006/SB701 ]

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS LAW MAY HELP REDUCE RECIDIVISM - Lawmakers are increasingly grappling with the long-term social and economic consequences of our lazy and draconian criminal justice system. Indeed, HB1006/SB701 were created as a response to legislative recommendations from the Governor's Task Force on Prisoner Reentry but, surprise surprise, they are facing opposition. Maryland's Job Opportunities Task Force explained some of the reasons for adopting the proposed policy changes:

• 1 in 4 adults has a criminal record.
• The Bureau of Justice Statistics found that recidivism risks are highest in the first 3-5 years
  following incarceration, with the first year accounting for nearly two-thirds of all the recidivism of the first 3 years.
• Studies have shown that providing individuals the opportunity for stable employment actually lowers crime recidivism rates and increases public safety.
• One prominent researcher found that a criminal record reduces the likelihood of a job callback or offer by nearly 50%. The effect is even more pronounced for African American men.
• 28 other states have policies in place to limit public access to certain prior criminal convictions in order to mitigate the collateral consequences of a criminal record.

Not surprisingly, some politicians have been scared to embrace anything that could be interpreted as "soft on crime." But the Job Opportunities Task Force also noted some of the safety measures they've left in place to preempt potential concerns from residents:

• Shielded records would remain fully accessible to criminal justice units for legitimate criminal
  justice purposes. 
• If a subsequent conviction occurs during the waiting period, the initial offense can no longer be shielded until the subsequent offense becomes eligible for shielding.
• Employers and certain entities with a statutory requirement to inquire into a candidate’s criminal background history will have full access to shielded records.

GOOD BILL #3: RESPECT THE END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS OF MARYLAND RESIDENTS // CONTACT HOUSE MEMBERS - Senator Roger Manno is sponsoring SB236, a bill which is designed to help ensure the end-of-life decisions of Marylanders are respected -- even if they are incapacitated. The explanation for the bill notes:

Advance directives protect an individual’s right to choose or to refuse various forms of health care (even in the face of the development of decisional incapacity) by transferring a critical health care decision point from the time of a patient’s decisional incapacity to an earlier time when the person is fully competent.

SB236 helps provide funding to establish a registry of advance directives in Maryland. The effort passed the State Senate by a vote of 41 to 6 and is now being heard in the House of Delegates. Advocates at the organization Compassion & Choices have sent the following action alert to Maryland residents:

Dear Juice,

Although an “unfavorable” committee report  appeared to have doomed passage of SB 790, a bill that would mandate funding of the Maryland online advance healthcare directive registry, a last-minute effort resulted in the Senate passing the bill on Friday. It is on its way to the House for a hearing and vote.

Our own Rosalind Kipping, president of Compassion & Choices’ National Capital Area chapter, put her full energies and tenacity into supporting the bill. Its sponsor, Sen. Manno, acknowledges Rosalind’s hard work was instrumental in getting the bill this far.

Rosalind now needs your help to keep the momentum going. Please contact your House Representative and let him or her know you “Support SB 790” and are counting on their (you can find your representative’s name by clicking here: http://votesmart.org/). vote. Funding to implement this online registry means thousands of Marylanders would have peace of mind in knowing their end-of-life medical care instructions would be easily accessible by their physician in an emergency situation.

Roland Halpern
Compassion & Choices

 [ ACT NOW: CONTACT HOUSE OF DELEGATES RE: SB790 ]

GOOD BILL #4: PROHIBIT THE SHACKLING OF WOMEN IN PRISON DURING PREGNANCY // CONTACT STATE SENATORS - Delegate Mary Washington, joined by a handful of colleagues, has proposed common-sense legislation to ban the shackling of female inmates during labor and delivery of children. HB829 passed the House of Delegates by a whopping vote of 133 to 3 and is now being taken up by the State Senate. You can listen to Del. Washington explain her bill online on a previous appearance on Marc Steiner's radio show. The Washington Post reported on the effort earlier this month and described the experience of inmates who were shackled during their pregnancies (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Eighteen states — including Arizona, Texas and New York — have passed anti-shackling legislation, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which supports the proposal.... Sara Love, public policy director for the ACLU’s Maryland chapter, credited Maryland prison officials with revising their restraint policies for pregnant women in written testimony she submitted to the judiciary committee late last month. But she said that “many women” are detained in more than 20 local detention centers that are not subject to the state’s policy....

In one case, Danielle Sweigert, who was seven months pregnant at a detention center in Jessup, said her leg and hand were shackled to a bed frame during delivery. “I was kept in shackles and handcuffs throughout my actual labor,” she said in written testimony....

Rebecca Swope, also a former pregnant inmate at Jessup, said she was “strapped at my breast, midsection, upper thighs and lower legs to the stretcher” and also handcuffed at the “wrist and ankle” during her ambulance ride to the hospital. She described the experience as “10 miles of torture.”

[ ACT NOW: CONTACT MARYLAND SENATORS RE: HB829 ] 

 More on the 2013 legislative session soon!