CAMPAIGN JUICE: Brown & Gansler Launch TV Ads, Hucker v Barclay, Kagan v Simmons, D13 & Analysis of MoCo Exec Race

Below Maryland Juice has a few quick updates regarding campaigns of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: GUBERNATORIAL AD WARS BEGIN // WATCH ANTHONY BROWN & DOUG GANSLER'S FIRST TV SPOTS - Begun the ad wars have. Gubernatorial candidates Anthony Brown and Doug Gansler are beginning to unload their multi-million dollars war chests on the television airwaves. Below you can see their first ads in the race for Maryland Governor:





HEADLINE UPDATE: Notably, these early ads are soft and fluffy. But I fully expect the tone of future ads to take a downward spiral, based on the headlines of recent press releases I've been receiving. See a few examples below:

• DOUG GANSLER:  Lt. Gov. Brown Says, “Leadership is About Inspiring People to Achieve Goals” – Really?

• HEATHER MIZEUR:  Mizeur Questions Gansler’s Commitment to Middle Class Families

• ANTHONY BROWN:  Doug Gansler yet to explain why he refuses to support funding full-day Pre-K for all Maryland children

JUICE #2: TOM HUCKER VS. CHRIS BARCLAY // DUELING UNION ENDORSEMENTS IN MOCO COUNCIL DISTRICT 5 - With the filing deadline closed, the race for Montgomery County Council District 5 is beginning to take shape. Board of Education President Chris Barclay received an endorsement from MoCo's teachers union, while Delegate Tom Hucker received the support of the MoCo government employees union. Check out the MCEA Tweet and MCGEO press release excerpt below:

PRESS RELEASE

UFCW LOCAL 1994 MCGEO ENDORSES TOM HUCKER IN BID 

FOR VACANT DISTRICT 5 COUNTY COUNCIL SEAT

Praises his work as state delegate advocating for women, children, and working families

Silver Spring, MD. - Today, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1994 MCGEO announced its enthusiastic support of Tom Hucker for the vacant seat in the Montgomery County Council District 5 race. Key to the endorsement, said Local 1994 President Gino Renne, was “Tom’s tireless work to protect and fight for legislation that protects our most vulnerable residents – our working moms, our children, our seniors....” MCGEO plans to make the District 5 race its top priority this election season, and will launch a robust political program including weekend door knocking and phone banks.

JUICE #3: ENDORSEMENTS IN DISTRICT 17 SENATE RACE BETWEEN CHERYL KAGAN AND LUIZ SIMMONS - Two new endorsements have been announced in the District 17 State Senate slugfest between Delegate Luiz Simmons and former Delegate Cheryl Kagan. Kagan received the support of retiring D17 Senator Jennie Forehand, while Simmons was endorsed by the MoCo government employees union MCGEO. See press release excerpts below:

PRESS RELEASE

Statement by Senator Jennie M. Forehand

My friends and supporters have been asking me which Senate candidate I believe should represent District 17. I am proud to announce my enthusiastic endorsement of my former colleague, Cheryl Kagan, who will best reflect my views and priorities in the State Senate.

... I am delighted to endorse Cheryl Kagan for State Senate. Cheryl is the clear choice, and I look forward to campaigning together toward victory in the June 24th Democratic primary. I strongly urge my friends and neighbors in Rockville and Gaithersburg to join me in supporting Cheryl.

PRESS RELEASE

Montgomery County Public Employees Endorse Simmons for State Senate

Simmons is UFCW 1994 MCGEO First Legislative Endorsement of 2014 Political Cycle

Rockville, MD – Today, Del. Luiz Simmons received the endorsement of UFCW 1994 MCGEO, the Montgomery County Public Employees, in his run to be the next State Senator for District 17.  The support of Simmons is MCGEO’s first legislative endorsement of the 2014 political cycle.  MCGEO represents 8,000 public employees in Montgomery County and beyond.

Gino Renne, President of UFCW 1994 MCGEO released the following statement praising Simmons for his hard work on behalf of Maryland working families, “Delegate Simmons has proven himself time and again to be a strong advocate for working families in Montgomery County and beyond.  I am confident that as a state senator, Luiz will continue to fight and address the problems plaguing our poor and middle class....”

JUICE #4: POLITICAL CHESS IN DISTRICT 13 DELEGATE RACE - David Lublin, who has rebooted the Maryland Politics Watch blog at www.theseventhstate.com, has an interesting write-up about the political chess match in District 13's Delegate race (excerpt below):

SEVENTH STATE: Long story short, a husband and wife both filed for delegate as did an uncle and his niece. The wife, School Board Member Janet Siddiqui, withdrew at the last minute to refile for School Board but her husband, Nayab Siddiqui, stayed in the race.

Both Vanessa Atterbeary, formerly a candidate in District 18, and her uncle, incumbent Del. Frank Turner filed and neither dropped out. Del. Guy Guzzone, who is running for Senate, originally planned to form a slate with incumbent Del. Shane Pendergrass, Del. Frank Turner, and Janet Siddiqui.

Now, Guzzone, Pendergrass, and Turner have decided to put Vanessa Atterbeary on their ticket as its third candidate for delegate after a series of interviews with the prospective candidates. Nayab Siddiqui and Vanessa Atterbeary both had inside knowledge that someone was going to drop out–or else why on earth would they have filed? And now Team 13 has added the niece of an incumbent delegate to the slate....

JUICE #5: MY THOUGHTS ON THE RACE FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY EXECUTIVE - There are a few months left to go until the June Democratic Primary for Montgomery County Executive. After the January campaign finance filings, incumbent Exec Ike Leggett had a sizeable cash advantage over challengers Doug Duncan and Phil Andrews:

• County Executive Ike Leggett (incumbent) = $971,159.00
• Former County Executive Doug Duncan = $330,120.86
• Councilmember Phil Andrews = $118,805.41

Between the power of incumbency and the heft of his war chest, Leggett may be sitting in a decent spot right now. But it is worth noting that even after the campaign finance reports came out, Duncan picked up endorsements from the MoCo police and firefighters unions. Meanwhile, a few major groups have yet to weigh in on the race, and Duncan may have decent residual name id from his previous terms as County Executive.

On the financial front, history also demonstrates that money is not decisive in these races. When Leggett first won in 2006, he was heavily outspent by rival candidate Steve Silverman ($770,000 to $1.9 million according to The Gazette). Even still, there is likely a threshold amount of spending a countywide candidate needs to meet in order to get their basic message out. Perhaps recognizing these challenges, in recent campaign debates Duncan has attempted to draw sharp contrasts with his rivals (Leggett especially) by criticizing their records on school construction funding and other issues.

DUNCAN JABS: In the latest bout of sparring, Duncan has taken to attacking Leggett for the stalled opening of the Silver Spring Transit Center. Though I can't speak for the rest of the parts of the county, I've spoken to lots of voters in the downtown Silver Spring area, and it is true that they frequently raise the Transit Center as an issue of concern. For those interested in further details on the Silver Spring Transit Center delays, the Action Committee for Transit has a chronology of news coverage at its website. In any case, the key question at hand is whether this and other issues like school funding will come to define the race, and whether any blame will be pinned on Leggett. Perhaps that's why Duncan held a press conference this week to raise questions about county officials' roles in the Transit Center controversy (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE 

Duncan Urges Completion of Silver Spring Transit Center;

Calls on County to Provide Answers, Plan of Action

SILVER SPRING, Maryland – Standing on the site of the long-delayed Silver Spring Transit Center, Democratic candidate for County Executive, Doug Duncan, today called on Montgomery County officials to stop making excuses, offer up a plan of action, and move swiftly to complete a critically important transportation hub that serves thousands of Washington area commuters. Duncan, who, as County Executive, oversaw the successful revitalization of downtown Silver Spring[1], said taxpayers deserve to know when the transit center will open – and how much more it will cost to complete it.... The Silver Spring Transit Center is currently two and a half years overdue and tens of millions over budget....

Duncan called on the County Executive and County Council to promptly give the public answers to these questions. "It’s time for answers.  Silver Spring residents and community leaders fought too long and hard for a vibrant downtown to have to wait for this mess to be cleaned up, before they have access to the state-of-the-art transit center they were expecting," said Duncan. "This failure on the part of the County government to get the job done here leaves pedestrians at risk, commuters frustrated and hurts the economic vitality of Silver Spring.  The people of Montgomery County deserve better."

LEGGETT HITS BACK: Patrick Lacefield, a spokesperson for Ike Leggett, responded in turn with the following statement:

PATRICK LACEFIELD: This is nothing more than the previous County Executive playing politics by seeking publicity for his campaign. If he had been following this issue, he would know that we are awaiting warmer temperatures to resume the remaining work on the private contractor’s faulty concrete work. All other things being equal, the facility could be completed, turned over to WMATA and opened by the summer. The detailed plan to fix it is embodied in the KCE Report made public last year and discussed by the Council. The cost for the concrete overlay is estimated at $2 million, costs which the County will ensure would be borne by the private parties at fault for construction, design and inspection flaws, not by County taxpayers.

The County continues to work with WMATA and the designer about the possible need to further strengthen interior beams and girders, as was discussed with the County Council last November.  Again, the County would work to ensure that any additional costs for fixing flaws would be borne by the private parties responsible.

It is heartening that the former County Executive is interested in the safety of the facility since previously he had expressed the view that he would simply have covered over the faulty workmanship and moved on, notwithstanding the more profound safety flaws that were discovered by KCE, with findings endorsed by three independent engineers. The County Executive has stated that he will turn over to WMATA a structure that is both safe and durable and that he will not let politics get in the way of safety, period.

The interesting thing about Duncan raising the Transit Center controversy is that he worked for one of the parties involved in its construction. The Washington Post's Bill Turque reported on the connection yesterday (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Duncan has worked as a consultant for Foulger-Pratt, the general contractor on the project. KCE held the firm responsible for the absence of reinforcing steel in two critical 10-foot-by-40-foot slabs in the center of the bus roadway. Foulger was also accountable for unacceptably thin concrete covering in some portions of the building, KCE said. Duncan said that contractors and engineers “did not perform as expected,” but declined to criticize Foulger directly.

THE PHIL ANDREWS EXPERIMENT: While Doug Duncan and Ike Leggett take turns punching each other, Councilmember Phil Andrews is embarking upon an interesting political experiment. He is essentially testing whether a candidate can win a countywide race in MoCo almost entirely by door-knocking. It seems clear at this point that Andrews will be outspent (heavily perhaps?), but in his literature (scanned below) he claims that he's knocked 17,000 doors in the last year or so. By comparison, there were 104,979 votes cast in the 2006 Democratic Primary when Leggett received 64,382 votes to Steve Silverman's 37,279. Notably, my wife reports that some of her co-workers (who are not plugged in to local politics) report having spoken to Phil Andrews personally when he canvassed their neighborhoods. In any case, you can read Andrews' literature below (click on the images to expand them):

JUICE: Gansler & Simmons Mail, AG Polls, Attack Ads for Gov, Miller Aide for Delegate, Hucker & Barclay for MoCo Council 5

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

JUICE #1: DEL. LUIZ SIMMONS DIRECT MAIL INCLUDES DOUG GANSLER // PLUS: TEAMSTERS ENDORSE SIMMONS FOR D17 SENATE - Maryland Juice caught the following mail piece from Del. Luiz Simmons on Twitter, which includes a testimonial from Attorney General Doug Gansler:

UPDATE: A source close to Simmons clarifies that this was a legislative mailing paid for with personal funds, but the piece carries an authority line to stay in compliance with Maryland law:

Lastly, we received the following press release from Simmons today, noting the endorsement of the Teamsters:

PRESS RELEASE

Del. Luiz Simmons Endorsed by Teamsters Joint Council #55 for State Senate

Rockville, MD – Following the endorsement of Teamsters Local 730 the Teamsters Joint Council #55 have endorsed Del. Luiz Simmons for State Senate in District 17.

Ritchie Brooks, President of Teamsters Local 730 released the following statement: "Luiz Simmons is our choice for State Senate in D17. The hard working men and women of the Maryland Teamsters are proud to support his candidacy and we have beeN proud to support him in the House of Delegates. Delegate Simmons shares our values, and understands the important work we do in his community and all across Maryland. We know we can count on Luiz Simmons to be a voice for working families in the Senate.”

JUICE #2: POLLING RESULTS IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE // PLUS: MOCO FIREFIGHTERS UNION ENDORSES BRIAN FROSH - Maryland Juice previously wrote about a Baltimore Sun poll on the Attorney General race, which showed the following status of the race:

• Undecided - 69%
• Jon Cardin - 18%
• Brian Frosh - 6%
• Aisha Braveboy - 4%
• Bill Frick - 3%

But The Washington Post also polled the Attorney General race and came up with a different set of results from voters who lean Democratic:

• No Opinion - 40%
• Jon Cardin - 22%
• Aisha Braveboy - 12%
• Brian Frosh - 5%
• Bill Frick - 4%

2-SECOND ANALYSIS: For a race like this, Maryland Juice urges a healthy dose of skepticism that early poll results are yet meaningful. I call this the Joe Lieberman effect; if you'll recall, Lieberman briefly weighed a Presidential bid after serving as a Vice Presidential candidate to Al Gore, and for a time he was leading in the polls. This is almost certainly owing to higher name id, but as we know, these things start to change once unknown candidates start spending money on media. In the Attorney General race, we have not yet gotten to that point in the campaign. Meanwhile, Maryland Juice received the following press release from the MoCo firefighters union, announcing their endorsement of Brian Frosh (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Association (IAFF) Local 1664

Endorse Democratic Attorney General Candidate Brian Frosh 

Union President Jeff Buddle hails Frosh’s experience and leadership

Bethesda, MD- Today, Brian Frosh, Democratic candidate for Maryland Attorney General, received the endorsement of the Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Association (IAFF) Local 1664, representing approximately 1200 career fire fighters in Montgomery County.

“Brian Frosh has a record on public safety that stands above the rest. We are confident that he will continue to make the safety and security of Maryland communities a top priority as our next Attorney General,” said Jeffrey Buddle, Union President, IAFF Local 1664. "He is a proven leader and will bring the right combination of experience and leadership to the Attorney General’s office. We wholeheartedly support Brian Frosh in the Democratic primary for Maryland Attorney General...."

JUICE #3: DUELING ATTACK VIDEOS FROM ANTHONY BROWN & DOUG GANSLER - In the last month, gubernatorial candidates Anthony Brown & Doug Gansler released YouTube videos criticizing each other. You can watch the attack videos below:

BROWN ATTACKS GANSLER

  GANSLER ATTACKS BROWN  


JUICE #4: PAT MURRAY, FORMER AIDE TO SENATE PRESIDENT MIKE MILLER, FILES FOR D34A DELEGATE RACE - Center Maryland's Josh Kurtz reported last week that Pat Murray, a former aide to Senate President Mike Miller and Speaker Mike Busch, has filed for District 34A Delegate (excerpt below):

CENTER MARYLAND: Patrick Murray, a former top aide to both Senate President Mike Miller (D) and House Speaker Mike Busch (D) and one of the most respected strategists in Maryland politics, will run for a seat in the House of Delegates this year. Murray, currently the director of State Affairs for Johns Hopkins University, filed papers Friday afternoon to become a candidate in District 34A in Harford County, the community where he grew up....

Already running on the Democratic side are Harford County Councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti; retired teacher Marla Posey-Moss, who was a Democratic nominee in 2010 but finished third in the general election; and businessman and civic activist Steve Johnson.

Even though he’s joining the campaign late, Murray doesn’t appear to be at any kind of financial disadvantage in the Democratic primary. According to their January campaign finance reports, Johnson had less than $1,100 in his campaign account, Posey-Moss had $500 on hand, and Lisanti had no money at all. Even Glass, the lone incumbent in the race, reported just $3,100 in the bank...

JUICE #5: DEL. TOM HUCKER & SCHOOL BOARD PRESIDENT CHRIS BARCLAY TO SEEK VALERIE ERVIN'S COUNCIL SEAT // PLUS: EVAN GLASS RELEASES LIST OF SUPPORTERS - The Democratic Primary race for Montgomery County Council District 5 is now taking shape with announcements for Valerie Ervin's seat from Delegate Tom Hucker and Board of Education President Chris Barclay. Barclay filed for County Council yesterday and has a website up:

This weekend, The Washington Post's Bill Turque reported that Del. Tom Hucker also planned to launch a campaign for County Council (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Del. Tom Hucker (D-Montgomery), confirming a widely expected move, said he will file Monday as a candidate in the Democratic primary for the District 5 Montgomery County Council seat.... His announcement came with an endorsement from House Speaker Michael E. Busch: “I I am confident he will be a strong and effective advocate for the people of his district and all of Montgomery County,” he said in a statement.

Hucker enters the race with a significant financial edge: nearly $147,000 in cash on-hand from prior fundraising for state House campaigns, according to the most recent finance report.... Barclay can keep his school board seat while running for County Council....

Hucker's website now also announces his Council campaign:

Lastly, Evan Glass, another District 5 Council candidate, sent us a press release announcing support from over 70 community leaders. Some interesting names on his list include:

• Takoma Park Mayor Bruce Williams
• Takoma Park Councilmember Seth Grimes
• Candidate for Clerk of Circuit Court Alan Bowser
• Former D20 Delegate Candidate Aaron Klein
• Former Legislative Director for Heather Mizeur Patrick Metz
• Board of Education At Large Candidate Jill Ortman-Fouse

You can see the full release below:

Evan Glass - Supporters List for County Council District 5

JUICE #6: CONTESTED RACES FOR ALL MOCO BOARD OF EDUCATION RACES // PLUS: ONLY MOCO COUNCILMEMBER RUNNING UNOPPOSED - There are still eight hours left until the candidate filing deadline, but already all of Montgomery County's Board of Education races are contested. Notably, in all of the District races for school board there are only two candidates, and the top two candidates in the Non-Partisan Primary will advance to the General Election ballot.

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)
• Larry Edmonds

At the County Council level, there are contested races for every position except for one. So far District 4 Councilmember Nancy Navarro is running unopposed.

JUICE: Governor Poll Results, MoCo Exec Debate, Minimum Wage Status, D17, Deportations, Pot, Reporter Shield, MD vs VA

Below Maryland Juice provides a quick round of updates on the status of high-profile legislative initiatives and campaigns of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: GUBERNATORIAL POLL RESULTS - BROWN 35%, GANSLER 14%, MIZEUR 10% // PLUS: AG POLL RESULTS - CARDIN 18%, FROSH 6%, BRAVEBOY 4%, FRICK 3% - This week, The Baltimore Sun released results of a poll they commissioned showing the status of the Democratic Primaries for Governor and Attorney General. Take these numbers with a grain of salt, because candidates in both races have not yet spent funds on media. Correspondingly, there are large numbers of undecided voters in the races for Governor and AG, but the early results are still pretty interesting. Here's a snapshot of The Baltimore Sun's survey results:

Democratic Primary for Governor

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

Democratic Primary for Attorney General

• Undecided - 69%
• Jon Cardin - 18%
• Brian Frosh - 6%
• Aisha Braveboy - 4%
• Bill Frick - 3%

Meanwhile, Bethesda Magazine's Lou Peck had a different analysis of the Governor's race. In an article last week, he sorted out support for Brown and Gansler in their home counties (excerpt below):

BETHESDA MAGAZINE: Gansler has the backing of 16 of Montgomery County’s 32-member General Assembly contingent, with four senators (Brian Feldman of Potomac, Jennie Forehand of Rockville, Richard Madaleno of Kensington, and Karen Montgomery of Brookeville) and 12 delegates publicly behind him. By the same token, Brown has the backing of 15 members (five senators, 10 delegates) from among the 30-member Prince George’s delegation.... 

There is, however, a striking disparity in the level of support for Brown and Gansler among their home county councils: While Brown has the public backing of six of the nine members of the Prince Georges Council, Gansler has yet to attract the endorsement of a single member of the Montgomery council....

Privately, it appears that policy differences are keeping some officials in the state’s most avowedly liberal jurisdiction from embracing native son Gansler, a long-time death penalty supporter who more recently has called for a corporate tax cut....

Lastly, Gansler announced in a press release today that he received the endorsement of the Montgomery County Firefighters union (excerpt below):

DOUG GANSLER (VIA PRESS RELEASE): During his remarks, Gansler announced that the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1664, AFL-CIO, CLC has endorsed the Gansler/Ivey ticket.

“It is with great excitement that the firefighters right here in this county are getting behind Attorney General Gansler’s campaign for governor. Doug’s strong record on public safety, his support for firefighters, dating all the way back to when he first became State’s Attorney in 1998, and his willingness to fight for the people of Maryland make him our choice for Governor,” said IAFF Local 1664 President Jeffrey Buddle. “We look forward to campaigning with him, making calls, knocking doors, whatever it takes....”

JUICE #2: MARYLAND IS BEATING VIRGINIA IN JOB GROWTH  / / PLUS: MARYLAND HAS MOST MILLIONAIRES IN THE NATION (PER CAPITA)  - In recent years, some Maryland politicians have justified regressive policy proposals and corporate welfare by pointing to the economic threat posed by the anti-tax politics of Virginia. But is all that hysteria and race-to-the-bottom policymaking actually connected to the real world? Two studies released this year would suggest not:

FIRST: Gallup this week released a study ranking states in job creation and retention. Though Maryland is by no means leading the nation in this category, we are ahead of Virginia. I repeat, Maryland is ahead of Virginia for job growth. Maryland is #22 in the nation for job growth, while Virginia is tied for #32. North Dakota is #1 for job growth right now, and Washington, DC is #2.

SECOND: Earlier this year, Phoenix Marketing International released a report ranking the states with the most millionaires (per capita). It turns out Maryland is #1 in the nation for millionaires, while Virginia is #7.

JUICE #3: DEBATE BETWEEN MOCO EXEC CANDIDATES GETS HOT AS DUNCAN, ANDREWS & LEGGETT SPAR // PLUS: SEE VIDEOS OF THE CLOSING STATEMENTS - Maryland Juice attended an interesting debate between Montgomery County Executive candidates last week. The MoCo teachers union (MCEA), hosted a school policy forum with County Executive Ike Leggett, former County Executive Doug Duncan, Councilmember Phil Andrews, and GOP candidate Jim Shalleck. Though Shalleck (the lone Republican candidate) presented as an amusing and likeable guy, the sparks started flying between the Democratic candidates. The Washington Post's Bill Turque captured a few of the heated jabs in an article last week (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: The question was when, not if, Doug Duncan would start throwing punches during Wednesday night’s first joint appearance of candidates for Montgomery County executive.... He consequently took every opportunity to depict County Executive Isiah Leggett as weak and ineffective, especially when it came to securing school funding from Annapolis....

Calmly but firmly, Leggett gave as good as he got, dismissing Duncan’s version of recent county history as “a parallel universe.” Money was easier to find in the go-go economy that existed during much of Duncan’s three-term tenure, he said. “The good old days are gone,” Leggett said. “It is the real days today.”

Duncan came prepared to make school overcrowding and construction issues the centerpiece of his attack..... “This is a problem we’ve known about for several years,” Duncan said. “What took you so long?...” “We’re in this mess because of a lack of leadership by my two primary opponents,” Duncan said.

“I think we need a little bit of reality,” Leggett responded.... Leggett framed the larger issue as Duncan’s triumphal view of his own record, which he said ignores profligate spending that placed the county in a serious financial hole even before the Great Recession.

“When I assumed this office [in 2007], the county was broke and getting broker,” Leggett said, referring to large deficits that he and the County Council had to close. Leggett touted significant increases in capital spending for schools during his tenure, along with reductions in emergency response times, advances in affordable housing and record cash reserves as proof of the sound management ability he brought to the job....

VIDEOS OF THE CLOSING STATEMENTS: Montgomery Community Media posted videos of the closing statements from all four County Executive candidates, and I encourage you to check out their comments below. You can see the back and forth between Doug Duncan and Ike Leggett in their final comments, but Phil Andrews closing statement is also worth a watch. Andrews lists a series of progressive legislation he authored, such as a living wage law, public smoking ban, and clean elections bill for local campaigns. He also takes a jab at Annapolis, stating that MoCo has increased costs because of "bad decisions by the General Assembly."

Doug Duncan Closing Statement

  Ike Leggett Closing Statement
  Phil Andrews Closing Statement

Jim Shalleck Closing Statement


JUICE #4: DELEGATE LUIZ SIMMONS SENDS ANOTHER MAIL PIECE IN D17 SENATE RACE - Delegate Luiz Simmons is running against former Delegate Cheryl Kagan for the District 17 State Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Jennie Forehand. He sent the following direct mail piece to voters last week:

District 17 Direct Mail from Del. Luiz Simmons

JUICE #5: GOV. O'MALLEY QUESTIONING WHY MD'S SO-CALLED "SECURE COMMUNITIES" PROGRAM IS DEPORTING MANY NON-CRIMINALS - A few years ago, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched a sketchy new program called "Secure Communities" that gave local police the power to check the immigration status of people they encountered, and to process for deportation those without proper documentation. The program was built during the xenophobic policy wave that emerged during the recession, but in 2011 The New York Times reported that several states tried to resist participation in the program (excerpt below):

NEW YORK TIMES: A program that is central to President Obama’s strategy to toughen enforcement of immigration laws is facing growing resistance from state governments and police officials across the country.

Late Wednesday, Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois said he was pulling his state out of the program, known as Secure Communities, the first time a state has sought to withdraw entirely. In California, where the program is already under way throughout the state, the Legislature is considering a bill that would allow counties or police agencies to choose whether to participate.

In Massachusetts, Gov. Deval Patrick has held a series of heavily attended and sometimes raucous meetings on the program in an effort to vent criticism and build support for the administration’s approach. In Maryland, Montgomery County considered withdrawing, then concluded reluctantly that it had to take part....

Three years later, Maryland Juice is not surprised to see that the hysteria-driven "Secure Communities" program is doing exactly what we feared -- deporting residents who are not dangerous criminals. The Baltimore Sun reported on the unfortunate (yet predictable) policy developments, and that Governor O'Malley is now questioning the Department of Homeland Security's implementation of the program (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Gov. Martin O'Malley on Tuesday demanded that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security explain why federal officials are deporting a higher share of noncriminals from Maryland than from most other states under a controversial immigration program called Secure Communities.

In a sharply worded letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, the governor called on the federal agency to document why the program has led to the deportation of undocumented immigrants with either no criminal record or only misdemeanor convictions, when its long-stated intent is to target dangerous criminals.

O'Malley, a Democrat, wrote to Johnson days after The Baltimore Sun reported that the share of noncriminals deported under Secure Communities in Maryland is twice the national average.

More than 40 percent of the immigrants who have been deported from Maryland under the program since 2009 had no prior criminal record, according to government data.

And the governor signaled that he is weighing legislation in the General Assembly that would limit the circumstances under which local jails agree to hold immigrants who have not been arrested for or previously convicted of serious crimes. Democratic governors in California and Connecticut have signed similar measures recently....

JUICE #6: DC COUNCIL PASSES MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION WHILE MARYLAND HOUSE SPEAKER FORMS COMMITTEE TO STUDY MARIJUANA ISSUES - The future of marijuana policy in Maryland is beginning to take shape, as House of Delegates Speaker Mike Busch recently appointed a legislative task force to study the various reform bills being proposed. The Washington Post reported on the development earlier this month (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: With the aim of taking a broad look at a range of proposed legislation on marijuana usage, Maryland House Speaker Michael E. Busch said Wednesday that he plans to appoint a work group of a dozen delegates to recommend a path forward this session.

A flurry of bills have been introduced since the 90-day session began last month that would either legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana or reclassify its use as a civil offense, rather than a criminal offense, subject only to fines of $100 or less....

“We want to fashion a work group to get as much information as we can on the full spectrum of ideas,” Busch (D-Anne Arundel) said in an interview. He said it is likely that legislation will emerge on medical marijuana and unlikely that a bill will pass this session legalizing marijuana for recreational use, as Colorado and Washington state have done. Busch said he expects robust debate on “decriminalization....”

In recent years, the House has been the more conservative chamber on reform of marijuana laws. Last year, the Senate passed a bill that would have done away with jail time or other criminal sanctions for those who use or possess only small amounts of marijuana. That legislation died in the House....

While Maryland continues studying this criminal justice reform issue, the District of Columbia is proceeding with marijuana decriminalization. CNN reported on the development this month (excerpt below):

CNN: The Washington City Council passed a measure on Tuesday that would move the District of Columbia one step closer to decriminalizing marijuana in most cases. Members approved the bill 11-to-1 in the first of two votes likely this month....

Despite the late change, the proposal is expected to receive final passage and become law because it has the support of a majority of and Mayor Vincent Gray.... For the council members who supported the plan, decriminalizing marijuana has become just as much about racial disparities as about sanctioning use of the drug....

JUICE #7: LIST OF MD LAWMAKERS WHO ARE SUPPORTING A $10.10 MINIMUM WAGE // PROPOSAL HAS MAJORITY IN HOUSE AND NEAR-MAJORITY IN SENATE  - Maryland lawmakers have been holding hearings on proposals to raise the state's minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, indexed to inflation. Though it is currently unclear what the outcome of this debate will be, below Maryland Juice provides a list of the co-sponsors for the $10.10 legislation. Notably, the minimum wage increase appears to have a majority in the House and is one vote shy of a majority in the Senate. The list below includes lawmakers who have publicly endorsed a Raise Maryland minimum wage hike letter, alongside lawmakers who are co-sponsoring the minimum wage bills SB 331 and HB 295:

UPDATE: The list below did not originally include three additional minimum wage supporters, Delegates Jon Cardin, Frank Turner & Joe Vallario. These three Delegates are not listed as co-sponsors of HB295 (the administration's minimum wage bill), but they are co-sponsors of  HB187 (Del. Aisha Braveboy's $10.10 minimum wage bill). We have added their names below:

House of Delegates

1. Frank Turner
2. Joe Vallario
3. Jon Cardin
4. Emmett C. Burns Jr.
5. Benjamin F. Kramer
6. Tom Hucker
7. Benjamin S. 'Ben' Barnes
8. Michael L. Vaughn
9. Aisha N. Braveboy
10. Mary Ann 'MaryAnn' Love
11. Keiffer Jackson Mitchell Jr.
12. Cheryl D. Glenn
13. Brian K. McHale
14. John A. 'Johnny O' Olszewski Jr. *
15. Charles E. Barkley *
16. Adrienne A. Jones
17. Shirley Nathan-Pulliam
18. Dan K. Morhaim
19. Dana M. Stein
20. James E. Malone Jr.
21. Elizabeth 'Liz' Bobo
22. Guy J. Guzzone
23. Anne R. Kaiser
24. Craig J. Zucker
25. Eric G. Luedtke
26. Aruna Miller
27. David Fraser-Hidalgo
28. Kathleen M. Dumais
29. Ariana B. Kelly
30. C. William 'Bill' Frick
31. Susan C. Lee
32. Luiz R. S. Simmons
33. Alfred Clinton 'Al' Carr Jr.
34. Ana Sol Gutierrez
35. Jeffrey D. 'Jeff' Waldstreicher
36. Bonnie L. Cullison
37. Heather R. Mizeur
38. Sheila Ellis Hixson
39. Barbara A. Frush
40. Joseline A. Pena- Melnyk
41. Alonzo T. Washington
42. Anne Healey
43. Tawanna P. Gaines
44. Geraldine Valentino- Smith
45. James W. Hubbard
46. Marvin E. Holmes Jr.
47. Carolyn J.B. Howard
48. Darren M. Swain
49. Kriselda 'Kris' Valderrama
50. Veronica L. Turner
51. James E. Proctor Jr.
52. Peter F. Murphy
53. Theodore John 'Ted' Sophocleus
54. Rudolph C. Cane
55. A. Shane Robinson
56. Kirill Reznik
57. Barbara A. Robinson
58. Frank M. Conaway Jr.
59. Shawn Z. Tarrant
60. Jill P. Carter
61. Nathaniel T. Oaks
62. Samuel I. 'Sandy' Rosenberg
63. Stephen W. Lafferty
64. Curtis Stovall 'Curt' Anderson
65. Maggie L. McIntosh
66. Mary L. Washington
67. Keith E. Haynes
68. Melvin L. Stukes
69. Nina R. Harper
70. Luke H. Clippinger
71. Doyle L. Niemann
72. Jolene Ivey
73. Michael G. Summers
74. James W. 'Jim' Gilchrist *
75. Kumar P. Barve *
76. Jay 'Sky' Walker *
77. Talmadge Branch *
78. Peter A. Hammen *

* Co-sponsored 2014 Raise Maryland bill but did not sign letter.

Senate

1. Brian J. Feldman
2. Catherine E. Pugh
3. Victor R. Ramirez
4. Richard S. Madaleno Jr.
5. Roger Manno
6. Douglas J.J. Peters
7. Ulysses Currie
8. Nancy J. King
9. Verna L. Jones-Rodwell
10. Nathaniel J. McFadden
11. Ronald N. Young
12. Norman R. Stone Jr.
13. Karen S. Montgomery
14. Brian E. Frosh
15. Jennie M. Forehand
16. Jamie Raskin
17. Jim Rosapepe
18. Paul G. Pinsky
19. Joanne C. Benson
20. C. Anthony Muse
21. Lisa A. Gladden
22. Joan Carter Conway
23. William C. 'Bill' Ferguson IV

JUICE #8: DEL. SANDY ROSENBERG PROPOSES LAW TO PROTECT ONLINE NEWSMAKERS & THEIR SOURCES - Maryland Juice has been operating for the last few years without a budget or staff, but has been able to keep insider information flowing to the public due to a network of anonymous sources. Delegate Sandy Rosenberg is now proposing a law (HB385) to protect the confidentiality between newsmakers and their sources. The Baltimore Brew blog recently testified in favor of this effort (which Maryland Juice supports) and wrote about their experience (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE BREW: ... Turns out, Maryland’s shield law for reporters does not fully include online journalists. Aiming to correct the problem, Del. Samuel I. “Sandy” (D-Baltimore) introduced HB-385. I agreed to go down, as the editor/publisher of Baltimore Brew, and chime in on its behalf....

The current Maryland law defines the news media as “newspapers, magazines, journals, press associations, news services, wire services, radio, television and any printed photographic, mechanical, or electronic means of disseminating news and information to the public....”

Rosenberg’s bill would add another category: “An independent contractor or agent of the news media in any news gathering or disseminating capacity, including a self-employed journalist....”

“What you may not know,” I told the House Judiciary Committee, “is the degree to which non-print, non-broadcast, web-only publications have become equal members of the national and local press corps....”

I talked about the downsizing of mainstream media and how The Brew puts more professional journalistic boots on the ground in Baltimore, participating in news conferences with our peers in print and broadcast, and regularly breaking stories they follow, etc....

After our presentation, Del. Luiz R. S. Simmons (D-Montgomery) led the cross examination. While organizations like The Brew might deserve shield protection ... others, Simmons thought, maybe don’t.... “I don’t like to see things so loosey-goosey,” Simmons said. “I’m unsettled by the reach of this bill.” Shield protection is “a privilege,” he observed, “not a right....” Simmons might have a low opinion of bloggers and freelancers but cash-strapped mainstream media organizations are using them more and more....

Some in the debate say that shield laws should protect journalism, not journalists. A remark by Rosenberg yesterday suggests he might be one of them. “Wasn’t the First Amendment set up to protect the rights of pamphleteers?”

JUICE #9: GLENN GREENWALD (JOURNALIST WHO BROKE NSA SPYING STORY) SPARS WITH REP. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER OVER CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT - Maryland Juice just caught an interesting sparring match between Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger and Glenn Greenwald, the former Guardian journalist who broke the story on the NSA's mass surveillance program. Ruppersberger took issue with Greenwald's suggestion that the NSA failed to provide members of Congress with the information necessary to conduct proper oversight of the spying program. Greenwald responded with the following blistering commentary:



JUICE #10: HAPPY PRESIDENT'S DAY // THE GAZETTE PROFILES FORMER MOCO DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR STAN GILDENHORN - To commemorate President's Day today, The Gazette ran a profile of former MCDCC Chair Stan Gildenhorn, who provided memories of President John F. Kennedy (excerpt below):

GAZETTE: Stanton Gildenhorn remembers the first time he met John F. Kennedy. It was 1958, and Gildenhorn had stopped at Kennedy’s Senate office on Capitol Hill to pick up a gift from his friend Evelyn Lincoln, the Massachusetts senator’s secretary. As Gildenhorn and Lincoln stood in the outer office, the door opened and out walked the future president.

Lincoln introduced Gildenhorn, and Kennedy greeted him warmly before apologizing that he didn’t have more time to talk and hurrying off to the next appointment on his schedule. The brief meeting left a mark on Gildenhorn, who would later work inside Kennedy’s White House. As the nation prepares to honor all its presidents Monday, Gildenhorn reflected on his time working with the 35th president.

“He was my hero then, and to get to meet him was one of the greatest moments of my life,” said Gildenhorn, 71, a longtime Montgomery County Democratic activist who lives in North Bethesda.

After Kennedy beat Richard Nixon in the 1960 election, Gildenhorn went to work for Larry O’Brien, one of Kennedy’s “Irish Mafia,” in a job for the Democratic National Committee.... Kennedy had a certain aura about him, Gildenhorn said. When he walked into a room, all eyes turned to him.

In a lifetime spent around politics, he said, he’s never met anyone else with that type of charisma. The president was down-to-earth, with a good sense of humor, Gildenhorn said. He was a voracious reader, devouring reports and memos....

JUICE: Beyer vs. Sen. Madaleno, Delaney for Gov, Attack on Purple Line, Patch.com Folding, Domestic Violence in 2014

Below Maryland Juice provides a round-up of news items of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: DANA BEYER ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN AGAINST D18 STATE SENATOR RICH MADALENO - This morning two-time D18 Delegate candidate Dana Beyer announced a campaign for State Senate through a column on The Huffington Post (excerpt below):

DANA BEYER (VIA HUFFINGTON  POST): Today I am announcing my next campaign for the betterment of my community in Montgomery County.

We are ready for progress. For too long, hardworking Marylanders have waited for economic fairness and equal opportunity. We have asked our elected officials to help bring better jobs to our neighborhoods, build stronger schools for our children, fix our roads and infrastructure and make quality health care an affordable reality.

We are ready to move forward, and that's why I'm declaring my candidacy for the Maryland Senate.

I am a retired surgeon, a mother of two and a progressive activist. I've spent my entire life fighting for social justice and equal opportunity in our community and around the globe. I'm proud of my track record of success on progressive issues, and now I'm seeking the opportunity to serve you in public office....

The Washington Blade's Michael Lavers also covered Beyer's announcement and carried interesting commentary from LGBT advocates in Maryland (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON BLADE: ... Beyer, 61, announced her campaign slightly more than a week after Madaleno introduced a bill that would ban discrimination against transgender Marylanders.... Carrie Evans, executive director of Equality Maryland, which endorsed Madaleno’s re-election campaign late last year, told the Blade the Montgomery County Democrat’s “strong record of accomplishments go beyond the LGBT communities....” Beyer is a former member of the Equality Maryland board of directors.

Lisa Polyak, who stepped down as chair of the Equality Maryland board in 2012, also defended Madaleno. “Although Dana has been a tireless advocate for transgender equality locally and nationally, she doesn’t possess the seniority or relationships that can advance priorities of LGBT citizens of Maryland,” Polyak told the Blade.

Evans said having another LGBT candidate “challenging our endorsed candidate” will divert the “limited resources that we earmarked to help our friends in other races” who supported Maryland’s same-sex marriage law in 2012. She also described Beyer’s announcement that comes less than a week before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee hearing on the trans rights bill as “ironic.”

“Some might say the timing of her announcement only serves to distract and potentially diminish our chances of passing the bill,” said Evans. “Since this is our top legislative priority in 2014 and transgender Marylanders should not have to continue to wait for inclusion in the state anti-discrimination laws, Equality Maryland hopes it does not...." Beyer would become the first trans person elected to the Maryland Legislature if she wins in November.

Meanwhile, Sen. Madaleno sent the following email blast today discussing his legislative priorities for the current Annapolis session (excerpt below):

RICH MADALENO: Throughout my legislative career, I have focused on the needs of Maryland’s working families.  This year is no different.  Below are some of the important initiatives that I am helping to lead in the General Assembly.

MINIMUM WAGE ... As a co-sponsor and strong supporter of legislation recently introduced by Governor O’Malley that would increase the state minimum wage to $10.10 for Maryland employees, I am proud to stand with working families for whom this raise is long overdue....

EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT ...  In his State of the Union address, President Obama additionally announced his support of a key poverty fighting tool that I have been working to expand here in Maryland over the past several years: the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)....

RETIREMENT SECURITY This year I am working with AARP, SEIU, and small business leaders to advance innovative legislation that would establish a state-based retirement savings plan for workers without access to employer-sponsored plans....

PAID SICK LEAVE ... As an extension of my “working families” agenda, this session I am proud to co-sponsor the Maryland Earned Sick and Safe Leave Act, allowing workers in Maryland to earned a limited number of paid sick days....

HEALTHY MARYLAND INITIATIVE ... Last but not least, this year I am a primary sponsor of important legislation that would raise millions of dollars to expand health care access to low-income families in Maryland by increasing tobacco taxes by $1 per cigarette pack.....

JUICE #2: FREDERICK NEWS-POST WEIGHS IN FAVORABLY ON POTENTIAL GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN BY REP. JOHN DELANEY - The editorial board of The Frederick News-Post today issued a piece ruminating on a potential gubernatorial run by Congressman John Delaney. Though the piece isn't quite an endorsement, it seems to come close (excerpt below):

FREDERICK NEWS-POST: ... Delaney, Maryland’s 6th District congressman, was playing his cards close to the vest. While he strongly suggested that he would seek a return to Congress next year, speculation is mounting that he may jump into Maryland’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. The congressman’s refusal to categorically rule out a bid for the Governor’s Mansion adds to the speculation.....

If Delaney does decide to join that race, he could be a formidable contender. Each of the three principal candidates — Attorney General Douglas Gansler, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Montgomery County Delegate Heather Mizeur — has some issues that could work in Delaney’s favor....

We’re not here to plug Delaney as a candidate or to urge him to enter this race. However, we do believe that he would be a good addition to the lineup and give Maryland Democrats more choice in the June primary. He might also have wider overall appeal than Brown, Gansler or Mizeur due to his entrepreneurial and business experience....

JUICE #3: PATCH.COM LAYS OFF HUNDREDS OF JOURNALISTS  //  WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR LOCAL POLITICAL COVERAGE? - Patch.com has been operating numerous micro-news sites in Maryland, but Breitbart reported yesterday that the publication eliminated hundreds of journalists without warning (excerpt below):

BREITBART: Patch.com laid off hundreds of employees Wednesday morning, without apparent warning, meaning that most of the network's local websites will cease to produce news, local or otherwise. The decision was made by Hale Global, the "turnaround" company that bought Patch.com from AOL earlier this month.... It failed to live up to its early commercial promise, however, and its formal end may be near....

While I am disappointed to see another local news outlet going under, I have been encouraged to see ramped up activity and coverage from non-traditional media sites like Bethesda Magazine, Bethesda Now, Maryland Reporter, Center Maryland, The Quinton Report, Red Maryland and others. But one problem facing local political and policy coverage is that many of us (including Maryland Juice) do not have adequate revenue streams to do anything but sporadic or volunteer-driven reporting. Meanwhile, mainstream media publications that I read frequently (like The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post and The Capital Gazette) are increasingly adding pay-walls and subscriber-only access for their coverage. I'm not sure what this all means for the future of local political news....


JUICE #4: CHERRI BRANSON APPOINTED TO VALERIE ERVIN'S MOCO COUNCIL SEAT // PLUS: BOE MEMBER CHRIS BARCLAY & OTHERS GEARING UP FOR PRIMARY - As we predicted, MoCo attorney Cherri Branson was selected to fill Valerie Ervin's vacant seat on the County Council. Maryland Juice received the following press release from the Council announcing the decision (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

Montgomery County Council Appoints Cherri Branson as New Councilmember for District 5

ROCKVILLE, Md., January 28, 2014 — The Montgomery County Council today appointed Cherri Branson by acclamation as the new Councilmember for District 5.  Ms. Branson will succeed former Councilmember Valerie Ervin, who resigned from the Council on Jan. 3 to become executive director of the Center for Working Families. Ms. Branson will complete the unexpired term, which ends on December 1, 2014.

“Cherri Branson has outstanding civic and professional experience, and the Council looks forward to her service,” said Council President Craig Rice. “We were fortunate to have many excellent applicants, and our decision was a difficult one. We deeply appreciate their willingness to serve the community.”

A graduate of Vassar College (B.A.), Indiana University School of Law (J.D.), and Emory University School of Law (LL.M.), Ms. Branson has held key staff positions in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1989. She is now Chief Counsel for Oversight on the Democratic staff of the House Committee on Homeland Security.  She has been president of the African American Democratic Club of Montgomery County. The Council appointed her as a member of the County’s Commission on Redistricting in 2011. She has also served as a member of the Charter Review Commission.

“I am honored to be appointed to the Montgomery County Council,” said Ms. Branson. “I am familiar with many of the key issues facing the County and the Council, and I will work quickly to learn more. I pledge to effectively represent the residents of District 5—and all the people of Montgomery County....”

###

Given that Cherri Branson has agreed not to run for the District 5 Council seat in the June Democratic Primary, Bethesda Magazine's Lou Peck provided an update on the status of the looming primary battle (excerpt below):

BETHESDA MAGAZINE: As the County Council Tuesday unanimously appointed congressional aide Cherri Branson as a “caretaker” to serve out the remaining 10 months of the term of former Councilmember Valerie Ervin, the maneuvering to win election to the seat for a full four-year term beginning next December intensified.

Christopher Barclay, a member of the county’s Board of Education since 2006, said this week he is running in the June primary for the Democratic nod for the council seat in District 5.... Meanwhile, another well-known officeholder from that area, two-term state Delegate Tom Hucker, is said by sources to be leaning strongly toward giving up his current position to run for the council....

But, in advance of the Feb. 25 filing deadline, at least five candidates are expected to seek the “long-term” District 5 seat, with Barclay and Hucker joined by Evan Glass, chairman of the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board; Terrill North, vice president of Impact Silver Spring, a group formed to provide support services to the community; and Jeff Thames, who heads an organization that seeks to provide opportunities to former prisoners. Thames formally filed for the seat last week....

As the Democratic Primary field develops, Cherri Branson is getting settled into her temporary Council appointment. She sent the following email blast out yesterday (excerpt below):

CHERRI BRANSON: I am honored and humbled that the County Council has selected me to serve you as the new District 5 Councilmember.  I am committed to delivering the high level of service that the residents of District 5 expect and deserve. I thank the councilmembers for the tremendous confidence that each of them has placed in me.

I am familiar with many of the key issues facing the County and the Council, and I will work quickly to learn even more. I pledge to effectively represent the residents of District 5 - and all the people of Montgomery County.

I also want to recognize former Councilmember Valerie Ervin for her years of dedicated service to Montgomery County. I plan to continue the work she started on the County Council seven years ago, but I will do it in my own way.

There are many exciting issues as we move into 2014 including a full capital improvements budget for the next six years, the fiscal year 2015 operating budget, and the White Oak Science Gateway Master Plan....

JUICE #5: TOWN OF CHEVY CHASE HIRES BROTHER OF KEY REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN TO FIGHT PURPLE LINE - Maryland Juice previously noted that The Town of Chevy Chase was debating whether to spend hundreds of thousands of local tax dollars to fight the Purple Line. The Washington Post's Katherine Shaver has a follow-up to the story, noting that the Town has hired the brother of a key Republican Congressman to battle a top transportation priority for Montgomery & Prince George's Counties (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: One of the lawyers hired by the Town of Chevy Chase to evaluate potential legal challenges to the Purple Line light-rail project is the brother of a key congressional committee chairman, leading some transit advocates to question whether the town is trying to buy political influence.

Robert L. Shuster, an attorney with the firm Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney, is the brother of Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The town hired the law firm in December on a monthly basis, so far paying a total of $40,000 for two months. The town council is scheduled to vote next month on whether to award an 18-month legal contract for $360,000....

Ben Ross, a longtime Purple Line advocate and former president of Action Committee For Transit, said “The whole thing stinks....” Tracey Johnston, another Purple Line advocate, said of the Shuster name, “If nothing else, someone answers your phone call. In Washington, that’s your first goal....”

The Maryland Transit Administration’s plans to build a 16-mile Purple Line between Montgomery and Prince George’s counties is at a critical point as the state tries to find a way to cover the $2.2-billion construction costs.... Even more important is the state’s bid for $900 million in highly competitive federal construction grants, which state officials have said are necessary to cover about half the costs. Maryland transit planners have said they expect to hear in February whether the Federal Transit Administration will recommend the Purple Line for that money....

JUICE #6: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ISSUES TAKE PROMINENCE IN ANNAPOLIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITH ELECTION YEAR OPPORTUNITIES - In the current Annapolis legislative session, it is difficult to miss the growing momentum for increased protection for victims of domestic violence. The Associated Press reported this week on a trio of bills that Governor O'Malley is pushing to address the issue (excerpt below):

ASSOCIATED PRESS (VIA CAPITAL GAZETTE): ... Brandy King, of Sykesville, told the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee that the current law does not enable her to get a final protective order against her ex-husband, who was convicted of second-degree assault in 2004 for physically abusing her.

One of the measures before legislators would change the law by adding second-degree assault to the list of crimes for which a person can obtain a final protective order. It also would require that an abuser only be sentenced to at least five years in prison, as opposed to serving at least five years before the victim can obtain a permanent final protective order....

Another measure would make it easier for victims to obtain a final peace order or final protective order by reducing the standard of evidence needed to get one.... Maryland is the only state in the nation that uses the higher standard of proof for final protective orders. A third measure would enable courts to impose an additional five years in prison on someone who commits domestic violence in front of a child.

As The Washington Post noted in an editorial supporting the bills, the domestic violence efforts are (thankfully) being heavily aided by election-year politics (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland has long had the dubious distinction of being the only state that imposes a rigid burden of proof for victims of domestic abuse to receive a civil protection order. Past efforts to change the outdated law never got very far in a hidebound legislature, and advocates became so discouraged that they didn’t even raise the matter in recent years....

Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Montgomery), chairman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee and a candidate for attorney general, is sponsoring legislation that would establish a more reasonable burden of proof for victims seeking protection orders.... Mr. Frosh expressed confidence that the reform will pass in the Senate, but the real obstacles lie in the House of Delegates, notably its Judiciary Committee. It killed similar legislation when it was last proposed in 2010. Not even the wrenching testimony of a woman whose three children were drowned after she couldn’t obtain a protective order against her estranged husband could convince the committee of the need for change. The callous, if not hostile, treatment of Amy Castillo brought justifiable criticism to the committee and its chairman, Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Prince George’s), but it remains to be seen whether lawmakers have learned from their mistakes.

Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons (D-Montgomery), who led the effort to kill the bill four years ago, told us he might be open to the change and has some ideas for “compromise” that he plans to discuss with Mr. Frosh. Perhaps not coincidentally, Mr. Simmons is seeking election to the Senate and is locked in a primary battle with former delegate Cheryl Kagan in which women and domestic violence issues are sure to be a focus....

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BECOMES HOT ELECTION-YEAR ISSUE: Indeed, Delegate Luiz Simmons is now co-sponsoring all three domestic violence bills, alongside House Speaker Mike Busch and Senate President Mike Miller. Additionally, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown (a candidate for Governor) is also getting behind the efforts. Brown issued the following press release this week (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

LT. GOVERNOR BROWN STATEMENT ON ADMINISTRATION’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (January 28, 2014) - Today the Maryland State Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee held hearings on three Administration bills (SB333, SB334 and SB337) designed to improve protections for victims of domestic violence.

“Over the last seven years, we’ve worked together to reduce domestic assaults by 20%, but it’s not enough until we can say that all Marylanders are safe from domestic violence,” said Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown. “By working together to pass legislation that makes it easier for victims to obtain final peace and protective orders, we will create a safer environment for all Marylanders. Additionally, by increasing penalties for abusers who commit acts of domestic violence in the presence of kids, we'll send a strong message that the safety of our children is always our top priority."

Since 2007, Lt. Governor Brown, who leads the Administration’s efforts to reduce domestic violence, has worked with lawmakers, stakeholders, law enforcement, and domestic violence and sexual assault advocates to enact legislation which contributed to a 20% decrease in domestic violence assaults and a 32% decrease in the number of women and children that have died from domestic violence over the last seven years. The Administration's 2014 domestic violence package builds upon this effort to eliminate domestic violence in our communities....

###

JUICE #7: ANTHONY BROWN TO MISS TONIGHT'S GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE TO BE WITH AILING FATHER - Maryland's Democratic gubernatorial candidates are scheduled to debate tonight at Montgomery County's Leisure World retirement community:

Thursday, January 30, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Leisure World's Ballroom in Clubhouse 1
3700 Rossmoor Blvd, Silver Spring, MD

The event tonight will proceed with Del. Heather Mizeur and Attorney General Doug Gansler, but unfortunately, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown has been called out of town to be with his ailing father. The Baltimore Sun reported on the development:

BALTIMORE SUN: Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown canceled plans to testify in favor of the O’Malley administration’s domestic violence bills Tuesday in order to be with his ailing father in New York. The lieutenant governor’s office said Dr. Roy Brown, 89, has been moved from a hospital to hospice care. 

Brown, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, is expected to remain with him in New York, a spokesman said.... Brown's running mate Howard County Executive Ken Ulman is not likely to stand in as a surrogate at this week's debate at Leisure World in Silver Spring, according to Brown's campaign.

JUICE: Dana Beyer vs Sen. Madaleno, MD #1 for Millionaires, Labor vs Brochin, Simmons vs Kagan, Gov & Min Wage Update

UPDATE: Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger has decided not to run for Governor.

Below Maryland Juice provides a round-up of news items of interest to politicos:

JUICE #1: DANA BEYER POLLING POTENTIAL RACE AGAINST SEN. RICH MADALENO - A Maryland Juice source sent us word of a poll out in the field right now in District 18. Two-time D18 Delegate candidate Dana Beyer now appears to be kicking the tires on a challenge to State Senator Rich Madaleno:

ANONYMOUS SOURCE: Beyer has a baseline poll in the field testing the delegate candidates, a Beyer/Madaleno senate matchup and testing some positive and negative messages as well as lines of attack.

JUICE #2: GOV. O'MALLEY & NUMEROUS LABOR UNIONS BACK CHALLENGER TO STATE SENATOR JIM BROCHIN - The Washington Post's John Wagner reported yesterday that Governor Martin O'Malley is backing a Democratic Primary challenger to State Senator Jim Brochin (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. never agreed on much, but the two adversaries have come to the same conclusion about one thing: Someone other than James Brochin should be elected to the state Senate from District 42.

Both O’Malley (D) and Ehrlich (R) have penned fundraising solicitations in recent weeks for candidates challenging Brochin, the independent-minded, three-term Democratic incumbent representing the Baltimore County district. O’Malley is supporting Connie DeJuliis, a former member of the House of Delegates who helped him in his gubernatorial campaigns....

“Connie is running to be a strong, Democratic voice for the communities, families, and citizens of the 42nd District in Baltimore County,” O’Malley said in his Jan. 7 fundraising solicitation for DeJuliis. “Her campaign is an important one, and she needs our help....”

I looked up the recent campaign finance reports for both Brochin and DeJuliis, and here's where the two candidates currently stand in terms of cash on hand:

• State Senator Jim Brochin (incumbent): $228,744.52
• Connie DeJuliis: $41,745.06

Note that Connie DeJuliis' campaign finance report shows donations from a wide range of labor unions and some politicians including: AFSCME Local 770, Baltimore Fire Officers Local 964, Maryland Social Services Employees Local Union 112, Maryland Teamsters PAC, 1199 SEIU - NYS Political Action Fund, CWA Cope - VA, Local 32 BJ NY/NJ American Dream Fund, Teamsters Local Union No. 639, Ironworkers Political Action League PAC, UAW PAC MD State, Friends For John Olszewski Sr and Friends Of Senator Norman Stone.


JUICE #3: NEW STUDY REPORTS MARYLAND IS #1 FOR MILLIONAIRES, VIRGINIA IS #7 - After all the hysteria from Democratic lawmakers about the potential flight of millionaires to Virginia, Maryland Juice was irritated to see a new study last week indicating that Maryland is #1 in the nation for millionaires (per capita). Can we please end the hysteria used to advocate for pro-millionaire policies already? Phoenix Marketing International published the following study, which was summarized by Politico's Mike Allen:

MIKE ALLEN (VIA POLITICO): States with the most and least, per Phoenix Marketing International: 1) Md. 2) N.J. 3) Conn. 4) Hawaii 5) Alaska 6) Mass. 7) Va. 8) N.H. 9) Del. 10) D.C. 11) Calif. 12) N.Y. ... 22) Texas ... 30) Fla. ... 36) Ohio ... 46) Tenn. 47) Ky. 48) W.Va. 49) Idaho 50) Ark. 51) Miss.

Here's a screencap from the Phoenix Marketing study:

JUICE #4: SIERRA CLUB ENDORSES HEATHER MIZEUR FOR GOVERNOR - Maryland Juice received the following press release from Heather Mizeur's campaign announcing the endorsement of the Sierra Club in her bid for Governor (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

Mizeur-Coates Campaign Picks Up Sierra Club Endorsement


SILVER SPRING, Maryland – This weekend, Heather Mizeur and Delman Coates, Democratic candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, received the endorsement of the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter, one of state’s leading environmental groups. They are the first environmental group to endorse in the Democratic gubernatorial election.  

"The next Governor will face tough environmental challenges from eradicating dead zones in the Bay and boosting our alternative energy options to protecting and sustaining our natural resources," said Mizeur. “We’re honored to have the support of Sierra Club—and all their members—in this campaign, and look forward to working with them in victory.”  

The Sierra Club is the largest grassroots environmental organization in the country. The Maryland Chapter has 12,000 members. Some of the chapter’s priority campaigns are focused on moving the state "Beyond Coal" and "Beyond Natural Gas", and on preserving the natural environment for future generations.



"Delegate Mizeur is a true environmental champion who leads the fight to ensure that all Maryland families have access to clean water, healthy air and open spaces,” said Josh Tulkin, state director of the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter. “Heather isn't afraid to speak her mind and stand up to special interests.”


Last week, the Mizeur-Coates campaign received endorsements from two women’s groups: Maryland NOW PAC and Feminist Majority. The campaign has also been supported by several other groups, including EMILY’s List and the Montgomery County Fraternal Order of Police....

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JUICE #5: SUSAN LEE FOR D16 SENATE & KELLY, KORMAN, JAMGOCHIAN FOR D16 DELEGATE  // PLUS: DUCHY TRACHTENBERG WEIGHING AT-LARGE COUNCIL RUN - The Sierra Club also informed Maryland Juice that in District 16, they've endorsed Del. Susan Lee for State Senate and Del. Ariana Kelly, Marc Korman & Hrant Jamgochian for the three Delegate slots. On a similar note, Bethesda Magazine's Lou Peck reported today that former Montgomery County Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg has decided not to challenge Susan Lee for the State Senate seat and is instead weighing a run for MoCo Council At Large (excerpt below):

BETHESDA MAGAZINE: ...Delegate Susan Lee took another step toward locking up the nomination for the seat now held by Sen. Brian Frosh, who is seeking the Democratic nod for state attorney general. Former County Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg said this week that, despite “a great deal of encouragement and support from many District 16 residents, I will not be running for the…Senate seat.” Trachtenberg, who continues to weigh a bid to regain an at-large seat on the County Council, added: “My political interests have always been in Rockville, and down on Capitol Hill....”

JUICE #6: GANSLER SUPPORTS TYING MINIMUM WAGE HIKE TO CORPORATE TAX CUT  //  PLUS: SENATE PRESIDENT MIKE MILLER SENDS MIXED SIGNALS - Earlier this month, Baltimore Business Journal reported that gubernatorial candidate Doug Gansler supports linking a state minimum wage increase to corporate tax cuts (excerpt below):

BUSINESS JOURNAL: Senate Bill 8 was introduced by Sen. Richard Colburn, R-Caroline. Colburn is a member of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. The bill is one of several attempts expected this General Assembly session to reduce the state’s corporate income tax to bring it in line with neighboring states like Virginia, where the rate is 6 percent.

Those attempts could gain traction this session because several candidates for governor have come out in favor of a tax decrease. Attorney General Douglas Gansler, who is running for the Democratic nomination for governor, wants to see the rate lowered to 6 percent. Gansler would tie the reduction to a hike in the state’s minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, up from the current $7.25 an hour.

Meanwhile, in recent weeks Senate President Mike Miller made a series of telling comments about his views on a minimum wage increase. The Baltimore Sun's Erin Cox reported on Miller's thoughts (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Sen. President Thomas V. Mike Miller predicted a big fight over raising the minimum wage in Maryland and publicly urged his colleagues to look for compromise.

Miller said he doesn’t believe the proposal backed by Gov. Martin O’Malley will pass his chamber, and that while there is broad support for a wage increase, the state will have to allow different regions to have different wages. “I’m trying to find way out of dodge,” Miller told reporters, adding: “I’m telling you right now: it’s going to be a very tough sell....”

Miller, who said he believes some wage increase will pass, criticized those jurisdictions for acting alone. “Personally, I think what Prince George’s and Montgomery County have done is a tremendous disservice to their state and their community,” Miller said. The higher wage, he said, creates a political challenge for passing a state-wide wage lower than $11.50 and it discourages chain businesses from launching new enterprises in those counties.... 

JUICE #7: ANTHONY BROWN ENDORSES MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION PROPOSAL  //  PLUS: MARYLAND LEADS NATION IN POT ARRESTS -  The Baltimore Sun's Michael Dresser recently reported that Lt. Governor Anthony Brown is endorsing a legislative proposal to remove the 90-days-in-jail penalty for marijuana possession in Maryland (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Speaking at a Baltimore Sun Newsmaker Forum, Brown also came out strongly for decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana. But he said Maryland should wait and learn from the experience of other states before moving to full legalization of the drug.... On marijuana, Brown took a middle ground between the O'Malley administration's cautious support of the limited medical marijuana program approved last year and the legalization plan offered by Del. Heather R. Mizeur of Montgomery County, one of Brown's rivals in the June Democratic primary....

Meanwhile, Christopher Neely of the Capital News Service reported that Maryland has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the top five states in the nation for marijuana arrests (excerpt below):

CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE (VIA PATCH.COM):  Maryland is a state with a serious marijuana arrest problem, according to the FBI’s 2011 annual Uniform Crime Report. With 22,043 arrests for marijuana possession producing an arrest rate of 378 people per 100,000, Maryland ranked among the top five in marijuana possession arrests according to the most recent data available. This is not new for the Free State. Since 2007, Maryland has been in the top five states in marijuana possession arrest rate.

“I have no idea why these numbers are so high,” said state Sen. Bobby Zirkin, D-Baltimore County, who is an advocate for marijuana decriminalization in Maryland. “The numbers are shocking and staggering.” Experts say the numbers are in part the result of the war on drugs being focused on petty marijuana possession arrests starting in the 1990s. Some also attribute much of the increase to then-Baltimore Mayor and now Gov. Martin O’Malley, who helped introduce both statistics driven policing and zero tolerance policies to the state.

From 2000-2007, Maryland’s overall marijuana possession arrest rate rose by 4,916 arrests per year, or 28 percent statewide. During the same time period, Baltimore’s marijuana arrest rate surged by 3,686 arrests per year - more than 155 percent....

But according to a recent poll conducted by Democratic-affiliated Public Policy Polling, 68 percent of Marylanders support decriminalization. Fifty-three percent support legalization similar to Colorado and Washington.... 

In other news, a coalition of groups including the ACLU, Equality Maryland, League of Women Voters of Maryland, NAACP and more have formed a coalition to end marijuana prohibition.


JUICE #8: GANSLER ATTACKS ANTHONY BROWN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM HEALTH CARE EXCHANGE CONTRACTORS - In response to the ongoing controversy over Maryland's bungled roll-out for Obamacare enrollment, Attorney General Doug Gansler issued the following press release slamming Anthony Brown for taking thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from contractors working on the project (excerpt below):

PRESS RELEASE

Brown/Ulman Took Nearly $130K from Health Care Interests for Campaign, Leaving Marylanders to Foot $170 Million Bill

While Taxpayers Have Spent $170 million on Botched Health Exchange, Brown Reaping Campaign Contributions

Silver Spring, MARYLAND – According to campaign finance reports, the Brown/Ulman gubernatorial campaign received $45,850 in campaign contributions between 2011 to 2014 from health care interests directly associated with the Maryland Health Insurance Exchange that Brown is overseeing – in addition to $84,000 Brown has received in donations linked to the health care industry in prior years.

A description of the contributions is below.

“While taxpayers have spent over $170 million on a botched insurance website overseen by Lt. Governor Brown, he has been reaping nearly $130,000 from health care interests. That is outrageous. Lt. Governor Brown owes taxpayers an answer for this ethical lapse – and an apology for the state of the exchange,” said Bob Wheelock, communications director for the Gansler/Ivey campaign....

Campaign Contributions to Anthony Brown and Ken Ulman from Healthcare Interests Directly Related to Exchange

Friends of Anthony Brown & MBHE Vendors

• Friends of Anthony Brown received $8,550 from vendors listed as receiving contracts from the Maryland Health Benefit Exchanges and executives or employees with those vendors.
• Friends of Anthony Brown received a total $4,750 from lobbyists who currently or formerly represented companies that received contracts from the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. $2,450 came from individuals who are currently registered to lobby on behalf of vendors, and $2,300 came from individuals who had formerly been registered to lobby on their behalf. (Note that some of these lobbyists were also registered on behalf of insurance carriers on the Exchange.)

 Friends of Anthony Brown & MBHE Insurance Providers

• Friends of Anthony Brown received $22,700 in contributions from authorized marketplace insurance carriers and their executives.  The carriers were CareFirst, Evergreen, and Aetna.
• Friends of Anthony Brown received $10,495 from lobbyists who currently or formerly represented Maryland Health Benefit Exchange insurance carriers $4,325 came from individuals who are currently registered to lobby on behalf of carriers, and $6,170 came from individuals who had formerly been registered to lobby on their behalf. (Note that some of these lobbyists were also registered on behalf of vendors contracted with the Exchange.)

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JUICE #9: HEATHER MIZEUR BEATING DOUG GANSLER IN POLL OF BALTIMORE CITY VOTERS? - DMV Daily's Hassan Giordano reported on an interesting poll of Baltimore City voters showing Heather Mizeur leading Doug Gansler in the Governor's race (excerpt below):

DMV DAILY: In a recent DMVDaily poll of likely voters, both from the citywide voter file as well as the avid readers of this publication, the once unknown Mizeur campaign has seemingly catapulted its way into the mainstream conversation of likely victors. Polling in single digits late last year, the Mizeur/Coates campaign has gained considerable ground amongst Baltimore City voters, closing the gap with such tenacity that one has to wonder how well she will do statewide with more time to connect with voters.

Our recent survey, asking roughly 500 area voters who they would choose for Governor if the election were held today, showed Mizeur trailing Brown by a mere three percentage points (32%-29%), while Gansler lagged far behind at 18%. And while over 20% of respondents were still undecided as to whom they would support, the fact that Mizeur has already bypassed her Montgomery County colleague Gansler, shows her campaign’s strategic success over the past few months....

Note: I have not seen the actual polling memo, sample or crosstabs, so I have no idea whether this was a statistically valid poll.


JUICE #10: DEL. LUIZ SIMMONS SENDS ANOTHER DIRECT MAIL PIECE IN D17 SENATE RACE AGAINST CHERYL KAGAN  //  PLUS: WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL CRITICIZES SIMMONS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - Delegate Luiz Simmons sent a second direct mail piece to D17 voters regarding "mudslinging" in his State Senate battle against Cheryl Kagan (see below):

Meanwhile, The Washington Post's editorial board issued the following piece highlighting Delegate Simmons' obstruction of legislation to combat domestic violence (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland has long had the dubious distinction of being the only state that imposes a rigid burden of proof for victims of domestic abuse to receive a civil protection order. Past efforts to change the outdated law never got very far in a hidebound legislature, and advocates became so discouraged that they didn’t even raise the matter in recent years....

Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Montgomery), chairman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee and a candidate for attorney general, is sponsoring legislation that would establish a more reasonable burden of proof for victims seeking protection orders....

Mr. Frosh expressed confidence that the reform will pass in the Senate, but the real obstacles lie in the House of Delegates, notably its Judiciary Committee. It killed similar legislation when it was last proposed in 2010. Not even the wrenching testimony of a woman whose three children were drowned after she couldn’t obtain a protective order against her estranged husband could convince the committee of the need for change. The callous, if not hostile, treatment of Amy Castillo brought justifiable criticism to the committee and its chairman, Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Prince George’s), but it remains to be seen whether lawmakers have learned from their mistakes.

Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons (D-Montgomery), who led the effort to kill the bill four years ago, told us he might be open to the change and has some ideas for “compromise” that he plans to discuss with Mr. Frosh. Perhaps not coincidentally, Mr. Simmons is seeking election to the Senate and is locked in a primary battle with former delegate Cheryl Kagan in which women and domestic violence issues are sure to be a focus....

JUICE #11: MONTGOMERY COUNTY EXECUTIVE CANDIDATES COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER TO PROTECT "TEN MILE CREEK" - An interesting environmental issue has emerged in Montgomery County's County Executive race. Activists with the "Save Ten Mile Creek" coalition are trying to stop development that would impact a MoCo waterway that serves as a back-up water supply:

SAVE TEN MILE CREEK: Just outside the boundaries of Clarksburg Town Center runs one of the healthiest waterways in the Chesapeake Watershed: Ten Mile Creek. A designated drinking water supply, Ten Mile Creek flows steadily, clear and cold, and teems with fish, many different kinds of aquatic insects, salamanders and other life forms. But large commercial and residential development proposals threaten this creek and watershed. Ten Mile Creek is delivering clean, healthy water to Little Seneca Reservoir and the Potomac. We want to keep it that way now, today and tomorrow....

Notably, this issue is becoming a key political debate ahead of the 2014 Democratic Primary, as candidates for County Executive have weighed in on the issue. Below we excerpt a letter from County Executive Ike Leggett regarding this issue, as well as an email blast from former County Executive Doug Duncan:

IKE LEGGETT: As you know, protecting the environment is a priority of mine. It is for this reason I am making a commitment that the County will forego any development on the 128-acre County/Clarkwood site. Further, I have made a decision that the County will not build the proposed addition to the County Correctional Facility. Together these two properties owned by the County total over 400 acres in the Ten Mile Creek area. The commitment to forego any development on these two County properties represents a signficant reduction in impervious surface, and therefore a substantial contribution to protection the environmental resources in this watershed.

DOUG DUNCAN: Montgomery County is facing a major land use decision with environmental consequences that will outlive all of us by decades or centuries. Ten Mile Creek in the Clarksburg area is a County treasure - one of a very few high quality reference streams in the County. In the coming weeks, the County Council has to decide how much development to allow in the Ten Mile Creek watershed, a decision that will say a lot about our commitment to protecting our environment and our region's water supply. The Creek is like an endangered species - we value it for many reasons. If we destroy it, we will learn, to our regret, that it was truly irreplaceable.... The County Council must make this right by limiting development in the headwaters of Ten Mile Creek so that the current water quality of the Creek is maintained and that no further degradation occurs.... We can and must save Ten Mile Creek. If you agree, contact the County Council to please ask them to base their decision on this issue by supporting the policy of no further degradation to the Creek.

For what it's worth, County Exec candidate Phil Andrews also joined Duncan and Leggett at a "Save Ten Mile Creek" event this weekend.


JUICE #12: DOUG DUNCAN WINS ENDORSEMENT OF MOCO FIREFIGHTERS - Last week Doug Duncan announced the endorsement of the Montgomery County firefighters union in his bid for County Executive (excerpt below):

JEFFREY BUDDLE, IAFF LOCAL 1664: As president of the Montgomery County Career Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 1664, I am pleased to let you know that we have endorsed Doug Duncan to be the next County Executive of Montgomery County.

Having been a career fire fighter for 15 years now, and having worked with different administrations and politicians, I know that the traits Doug brings to the table are exactly what Montgomery County needs at this point in time in order to get us back on track.

His resolute commitment to public safety, both in the past and going forward, his vision for tomorrow’s Montgomery County, and his leadership style are what distinguish him as the clear choice in this race and made it an easy decision for us.

Doug has been an ardent supporter of the career fire fighters since day one. He understands the importance of working together to create one of the finest fire and rescue services in the country.  Doug knows how critical safeguarding the residents of Montgomery County is.

Montgomery County needs a strong, invigorated leader with innovative and new ideas. More of the status quo will just simply not work and we must once again get Montgomery County moving in the right direction. It was an honor to work with Doug before and we look forward to working together again with him as the next Montgomery County Executive....

JUICE #13: NARAL PRO-CHOICE MARYLAND PAC ISSUES CALL FOR CANDIDATE SURVEYS - Maryland  Juice received the following alert from the NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland PAC requesting candidate surveys for its endorsement process:

PRESS RELEASE

NARAL PRO-CHOICE MARYLAND PAC
Announces Endorsement Process

SILVER SPRING, MD--Today, the Political Action Committee of NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland announced that they have launched a new portion of their website dedicated to preparing for the upcoming elections.

Persons interested in the endorsement process, voting information, and volunteer opportunities should visit www.prochoicemd.org. The site will be continually updated and will include endorsed candidates when they are announced.

The NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland Political Action Committee is the only statewide PAC dedicated solely to electing pro-choice candidates to office in Maryland. Since 1982, NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland PAC has worked to elect pro-choice officials at the state and county levels.

NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland is dedicated to ensuring that Maryland continues to be a leader in the reproductive rights movement

To learn more about the endorsement process, please visit www.prochoicemd.org/elections.

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