House of Delegates Committee Rosters, MD Congressmen Split on Cromnibus & Business Leaders Launch Purple Line Effort

Friends, this may be one of the final few "Juiceblenders" I publish before being sworn into the General Assembly in January. After that, I plan to turn over curation of this blog to a handful of new Juicers. This would be an all-volunteer project and a potentially time-consuming labor of love, but if you're a progressive Maryland politico who might be interested in joining the team, shoot me a note at david---(AT)---marylandjuice.com, and I can explain what this'll entail. In the meantime, I have a few interesting updates for politicos:

JUICE #1: HOUSE SPEAKER MICHAEL BUSCH ANNOUNCES COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS // PLUS: MD JUICE CONSTRUCTS FULL LISTS OF NEW ROSTERS - Below we publish a press release from the Speaker's office highlighting which committees the 58 incoming Freshman Delegates will serve on. Note that the press release only indicates where the new members are headed and where incumbents who are changing committees are headed. As a result, below the Speaker's press release, I've constructed lists of each committee's full membership that includes the incumbents staying put alongside the new committee members.

PRESS RELEASE

SPEAKER BUSCH ANNOUNCES COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
ANNAPOLIS, MD – House Speaker Michael E. Busch today announced committee assignments for six standing committees in the House of Delegates.  In the upcoming session, Appropriations will have 26 members, Health & Government Operations and Economic Matters each will have 24, and Environmental Matters, Ways & Means and Judiciary will have 22 members.

The committees are balanced to reflect the demographic, geographic and party makeup of the legislature.

The following Delegates and Delegates-elect were appointed today.  Delegates not included on this list will maintain their current committee assignments.

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
Delegate Aruna Miller (District 15)
Delegate Benjamin S. Barnes (District 21)
Delegate-elect Brooke Lierman (District 46)
Delegate-elect Patrick Young (District 44B)
Delegate-elect Shelly Hettleman (District 11)
Delegate-elect Mark Chang (District 32)
Delegate-elect Marc Korman (District 16)
Delegate-elect Michael Jackson (District 27B)
Delegate-elect Carol Krimm (District 3A)
Delegate Andrew Serafini (Delegate 2A)
Delegate-elect Jeff Ghrist (District 36)
Delegate-elect Michael McKay (District 1C)
Delegate-elect Mary Beth Carozza (District 38C)
Delegate-elect David Vogt (District 4)
Delegate-elect Robin Grammer (District 6)

ECONOMIC MATTERS COMMITTEE
Delegate Luke Clippinger (District 46)
Delegate Kris Valderamma (District 26)
Delegate C. William Frick (District 16)
Delegate Jeff Waldstreicher (District 18)
Delegate Talmadge Branch (District 45)
Delegate C.T. Wilson (District 26)
Delegate-elect Mary Ann Lisanti (District 34A)
Delegate-elect Ned Carey (District 31A)
Delegate-elect Benjamin Brooks (District 10)
Delegate Mark Fisher (District 27C)
Delegate Steve Arentz (District 36)
Delegate-elect Christopher Adams (District 37B)
Delegate-elect Seth Howard (District 30B)
Delegate-elect Johnny Mautz (District 37B)

ENVIRONMENT AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
Delegate Kathy Szeliga (Delegate 7)
Delegate-elect Tony Knotts (Delegate 26)
Delegate-elect Clarence Lam (District 12)
Delegate-elect Cory McCray (District 45)
Delegate-elect Carl Anderton (District 38B)
Delegate-elect Andrew Cassilly (District 35B )
Delegate-elect Robert Flanagan (District 9B)

HEALTH & GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
Delegate Herb McMillan (District 30A)
Delegate-elect Antonio Hayes (District 40)
Delegate-elect Angela Angel (District 25)
Delegate-elect Erek Barron (District 24)
Delegate-elect Terri Hill (District 12)
Delegate-elect Sheree Sample-Hughes (37A)
Delegate-elect Karen Young (District 3A)
Delegate-elect Matt Morgan (District 29A)
Delegate-elect Sid Saab (District 33)
Delegate-elect Christian Miele (District 8)
Delegate-elect Chris West (District 42B)

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
Delegate-elect Will Campos (District 47B)
Delegate-elect Will Smith (District 20)
Delegate-elect David Moon (District 20)
Delegate-elect Marice Morales (District 19)
Delegate-elect Vanessa Atterbeary (District 13)
Delegate-elect Charles Sydnor (District 44B)
Delegate-elect Jay Jalisi (District 10)
Delegate-elect Deb Rey (District 29B)
Delegate-elect Brett Wilson (District 2B)
Delegate-elect Trent Kittleman (District 9A)
Delegate-elect William Folden (District 3B)

WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE
Delegate Mary Washington (District 43)
Delegate-elect Andrew Platt (District 17)
Delegate-elect Eric Ebersole (District 12)
Delegate-elect Darryl Barnes (District 25)
Delegate-elect Diana Fennell (District 15)
Delegate-elect Jimmy Tarlau (District 47A)
Delegate-elect Edith Patterson (District 26)
Delegate-elect Bob Long (District 6)
Delegate-elect Ric Metzgar (District 6)
Delegate-elect Jason Buckel (District 1B)
Delegate-elect Meagan Simonaire (District 31B)
Delegate-elect Haven Shoemaker (District 5)
Delegate-elect Kevin Hornberger (District 35A)
Delegate-elect Teresa Reilly (District 35B)

###

The lists above do not tell you what the full memberships of the new committees will look like, so I went ahead and tried to compile this information. If you see any errors, please email me at david---(AT)---marylandjuice.com.

JUDICIARY
1. Joe Vallario (D)
2. Kathleen Dumais (D)
3. Curt Anderson (D
4. Jill Carter (D)
5. Frank Conaway, Jr. (D)
6. Sandy Rosenberg (D)
7. Geraldine Valentino-Smith (D)
8. Will Campos (D)
9. Will Smith (D)
10. David Moon (D)
11. Marice Morales (D)
12. Vanessa Atterbeary (D)
13. Charles Sydnor (D)
14. Jay Jalisi (D)
15. Deb Rey (R)
16. Brett Wilson (R)
17. Trent Kittleman (R)
18. William Folden (R)
19. Glen Glass (R)
20. John Cluster, Jr. (R)
21. Susan McComas (R)
22. Neil Parrott (R)

WAYS AND MEANS
1. Sheila Hixson (D)
2. Frank Turner (D)
3. Carolyn Howard (D)
4. Anne Kaiser (D)
5. Eric Luedtke (D)
6. Jay Walker (D)
7. Alonzo Washington (D)
8. Mary Washington (D)
9. Andrew Platt (D)
10. Eric Ebersole (D)
11. Darryl Barnes (D)
12. Diana Fennell (D)
13. Jimmy Tarlau (D)
14. Edith Patterson (D)
15. Kathy Afzali (R)
16. Bob Long (R)
17. Ric Metzgar (R)
18. Jason Buckel (R)
19. Meagan Simonaire (R)
20. Haven Shoemaker (R)
21. Kevin Hornberger (R)
22. Teresa Reilly (R)

APPROPRIATIONS
1. Maggie McIntosh (D)
2. James Proctor (D)
3. Tawanna Gaines (D)
4. Ana Sol Gutierrez (D)
5. Keith Haynes (D)
6. Adrienne Jones (D)
7. Barbara Robinson (D)
8. Ted Sophocleus (D)
9. Craig Zucker (D)
10. Aruna Miller (D)
11. Ben Barnes (D)
12. Brooke Lierman (D)
13. Pat Young (D)
14. Shelly Hettleman (D)
15. Mark Chang (D)
16. Marc Korman (D)
17. Michael Jackson (D)
18. Carol Krimm (D)
19. Andrew Serafini (R)
20. Jeff Ghrist (R)
21. Michael McKay (R)
22. Mary Beth Carozza (R)
23. David Vogt (R)
24. Robin Grammer (R)
25. Wendell Beitzel (R)
26. Tony McConkey (R)

ECONOMIC MATTERS
1. Dereck Davis (D)
2. Charles Barkley (D)
3. Cheryl Glenn (D)
4. Sally Jameson (D)
5. Ben Kramer (D)
6. Michael Vaughn (D)
7. Luke Clippinger (D)
8. Kris Valderamma (D)
9. Bill Frick (D)
10. Jeff Waldstreicher (D)
11. Talmadge Branch (D)
12. C.T. Wilson (D)
13. Mary Ann Lisanti (D)
14. Ned Carey (D)
15. Ben Brooks (D)
16. Susan Aumann (R)
17. Richard Impallaria (R)
18. Warren Miller (R)
19. Kelly Schulz (R)
20. Mark Fisher (R)
21. Steve Arentz (R)
22. Christopher Adams (R)
23. Seth Howard (R)
24. Johnny Mautz (R)

ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORTATION
1. Kumar Barve (D)
2. Pam Beidle (D)
3. Al Carr (D)
4. David Fraser-Hidalgo (D)
5. Barbara Frush (D)
6. Jim Gilchrist (D)
7. Anne Healey (D)
8. Marvin Holmes (D)
9. Stephen Lafferty (D)
10. Shane Robinson (D)
11. Dana Stein (D)
12. Tony Knotts (D)
13. Clarence Lam (D)
14. Cory McCray (D)
15. Jay Jacobs (R)
16. Tony O'Donnell (R)
17. Charles Otto (R)
18. Cathy Vitale (R)
19. Kathy Szeliga (R)
20. Carl Anderton (R)
21. Andrew Cassilly (R)
22. Bob Flanagan (R)

HEALTH & GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
1. Pete Hammen (D)
2. Shane Pendergrass (D)
3. Eric Bromwell (D)
4. Bonnie Cullison (D)
5. Ariana Kelly (D)
6. Dan Morhaim (D)
7. Nathaniel Oaks (D)
8. Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D)
9. Kirill Reznik (D)
10. Antonio Hayes (D)
11. Angela Angel (D)
12. Erek Barron (D)
13. Terri Hill (D)
14. Sheree Sample-Hughes (D)
15. Karen Young (D)
16. Herb McMillan (R)
17. Nicholaus Kipke (R)
18. Susan Krebs (R)
19. Pat McDonough (R)
20. Justin Ready (R)
21. Matt Morgan (R)
22. Sid Saab (R)
23. Christian Miele (R)
24. Chris West (R)

JUICE #2: MARYLAND CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION SPLITS OVER CROMNIBUS BUDGET VOTE // WALL STREET WELFARE VS. PASSING A FEDERAL BUDGET? - Last week, members of Congress came dazzlingly close to not passing a budget. But in contrast to past instances of budget showdowns, it was liberal members of Congress (spearheaded by Senator Elizabeth Warren and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi) joined by conservative budget hawks, who were raising a ruckus. The Boston Globe provided a summary of what went down (excerpt below):

BOSTON GLOBE: Last week in Washington was supposed to go like this: The House and Senate would each introduce a $1.1 trillion spending bill to keep the government running through September; Senator Ted Cruz would briefly seize the spotlight with his diva routine; then both houses would pass their respective bills and go home....

Evidently, no one consulted Elizabeth Warren. You’d think by now they would have learned. Warren objected to two provisions slipped into the bill at the last moment. One increased by tenfold the amount of money rich donors can give to party committees. The other unwound a part of the Dodd-Frank financial reforms forbidding banks from gambling on risky swaps using government-guaranteed accounts. Appallingly, as Mother Jones revealed, Citigroup lobbyists wrote the language gutting this protection, a change that will directly benefit the bank.

Warren’s election to the Senate coincided with a change in the way the institution operates that she has masterfully exploited. In the days before crises and shutdowns were standard, senators exerted influence through legislation. But Congress has all but stopped legislating. The current one has passed the fewest bills in 60 years. Today, the senators most effective at influencing the national debate are not Old Bulls like Ted Kennedy but younger figures like Cruz and Warren whose ability to communicate clear, powerful ideas resonates with the public....

Interestingly, Maryland's Congressional Delegation split in half over this vote, with 50% of Maryland House Representative's supporting the budget, and 50% opposing it. The overall vote in the U.S. House was 219-206, and here's how Maryland members voted:

YES ON CROMINBUS

1. Rep. John Delaney (D)
2. Rep. Andy Harris (R)
3. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D)
4. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D)

NO ON CROMNIBUS

1. Rep. Elijah Cummings
2. Rep. Donna Edwards
3. Rep. John Sarbanes
4. Rep. Chris Van Hollen

If you want to hear more about the reason for the split on this vote, you can listen to Sen. Elizabeth Warren's floor speech decrying giving more power to big banks like Citigroup:



JUICE #3: MARYLAND BUSINESS LEADERS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE PURPLE LINE // READ THEIR LETTER TO GOVERNOR-ELECT LARRY HOGAN - With Governor-elect Larry Hogan's stance on the Purple Line coming down soon, Maryland business leaders have launched an effort to make the case for the project. Indeed, maintaining a predictable business environment, creating thousands of new jobs, and bringing millions in investment to Maryland are all goals pegged to keeping the light rail project on track. Below we publish a letter recently sent by business leaders to Mr. Hogan:

Dear Governor-Elect Hogan:

We are the Economic Partners of the Purple Line, a coalition of developers and business groups working in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. We are writing to you in support of the Purple Line light rail project. Many of us have been Purple Line advocates for over the last two decades, and we would like to meet with you to discuss this project’s overwhelming economic benefits to our businesses, our local communities, and the State of Maryland.

After many years of hard work and planning, the Purple Line is almost ready for construction, which is scheduled to begin in 2015. Cancelling or delaying this project at this late stage would have drastic consequences, including the loss of almost $1 billion in federal funding and approximately $170 million in state funds that have already been spent on engineering and right-of-way acquisition.

The federal funds come from the Federal Transit Administration’s “New Starts” program, and thus cannot be used for anything other than the Purple Line light rail project. If the project is delayed or canceled, these federal funds may instead fund another transit project in a different state. In fact, Congress recently approved a budget deal immediately appropriating $100 million for the Purple Line, which the state would have to repay if the project does not go forward. Furthermore, because of the “lockbox” amendment, for which many of us advocated, the Purple Line funds already programmed in the State’s CTP can only be used for transportation.

This transit project connecting Maryland’s first-ring suburbs will generate economic activity that far exceeds the initial investment of $2.45 billion in federal, state, and private dollars. It is projected to carry over 70,000 riders a day along its 16 mile alignment, and will connect Metro’s Red, Green, and Orange lines as well as MARC and local bus services. Essentially, it will function as an expansion of the Metro system at much less cost. Some of the economic benefits this transit enhancement will generate include the following:

• According to a 2014 study by the American Public Transportation Association, roughly every $1 billion spent on transit generates $3.7 billion in economic activity. Between 2003 and 2013, the expansion of Dallas’ light rail system generated $7.4 billion in additional activity, in return for the $4.7 billion investment—this represents a ROI of 157%. 

• Increasingly, residents want to locate or live near transit, and this preference is reflected in higher rental rates and land values. Attracting and retaining these younger, professional residents who want to live in urbanizing, transit-oriented neighborhoods is essential to growing our local economy. 

• The Purple Line will bring jobs to Maryland by making this area more competitive in the increasingly challenging market for federal agencies and private employers. For example, Prince George’s and Fairfax Counties are currently vying for the new FBI headquarters, which would bring 11,000 federal jobs to Maryland. 

• The Purple Line will be delivered as a public-private partnership, leveraging between $500-900 million in private funding for the project. Because the project will be financed, designed, built, operated, and maintained privately, this arrangement will allow for cost savings as a result of multiple efficiencies in labor management, materials, and scheduling. The fact that four multinational consortia, each consisting of several major construction and engineering firms, are bidding on the Purple Line is a strong  indication of the project’s strength and viability. 

• The Purple Line will better connect the researchers and students at the University of Maryland with the employers in Silver Spring and Bethesda— two of the state’s major job centers.

As you know, success in real estate and business requires long-term strategic thinking. Accordingly, many of our companies have made significant investments and business decisions in reliance on the expectation that the Purple Line would be built after so many years of intensive, detailed study. Thousands of hours have been spent scrutinizing and debating a variety of transit options and routes, and the plan that is now moving forward has been thoroughly vetted by community groups, developers, businesses, and local, state, and federal agencies. In addition, the four finalists bidding on the Purple Line have spent tens of millions of dollars preparing their proposals in response to the Maryland Transit Administration’s RFP process.

We are eager to work with you to ensure the project is delivered cost-effectively, and that the opportunity for transit-oriented development around the stations is maximized. However, halting this project at the eleventh hour would further undermine business confidence in Maryland—and we know this is exactly the opposite of your intention.

In Northern Virginia, business leaders successfully rallied to help secure the funding and construction of the Silver Line, which will bring enormous economic benefits to Tysons Corner and Reston. The existing road network inside Maryland’s Capital Beltway is essentially “built out,” so even if we wished to expand it significantly we would be unable to do so—which means that our innermost suburbs cannot continue to grow or compete with Virginia unless we expand our transit capacity. We are one state, and the continued prosperity and economic vitality of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties benefit all of Maryland.

We sincerely congratulate you on your victory, and share your goals of improving the state’s business climate, growing our economy, and putting Marylanders to work. We look forward to meeting with you to discuss how the Purple Line can help achieve these goals.

Sincerely,

Thomas S. Bozzuto, Chairman and CEO
The Bozzuto Group

Rob Bindeman, President
Landmark Realty, Inc.

Chris Bruch, President and COO
The Donohoe Companies

Desiree A. Callender, President
Prince George’s County Association of REALTORS

Oliver Carr III, CEO
Carr Properties

John F. Collich, Senior Vice President
B.F. Saul Company

Robert O. Eisinger, Managing Member
ProMark Real Estate Services LLC

Thomas M. Farasy, President
Purple Rail Alliance, Inc.

Doug Firstenberg, Principal
StonebridgeCarras

Greg Ford, President
Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS

Georgette Godwin, President and CEO
Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce

Evan Goldman, Vice President
Federal Realty Investment Trust

David Harrington, President and CEO
Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce

Lori Graf, Chief Executive Officer
Maryland Building Industry Association

Charles A. Irish, Jr., President
VIKA Maryland, LLC

Ginanne Italiano, President and CEO
The Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce

Rich Jordan, Senior Vice President
The JBG Companies

David Kitchens, Principal
Cooper Carry

Bruce H. Lee, President
Lee Development Group

Sally T. Modjeska, Executive Director
NAIOP Maryland/DC Chapter

Charles K. Nulsen III, President
Washington Property Company

Richard Parsons, Vice Chair
Suburban Maryland Transportation Alliance

Jane Redicker, President and CEO
Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce

Thomas L. Regnell, President and CEO
The Chevy Chase Land Company

Stacy Spann, Executive Director
The Housing Opportunities Commission

Bob Youngentob, President
EYA

JUICE: Speaker Mike Busch Announces New Maryland House Leadership, Gansler Heads to Firm & Hogan for Public Finance?

Below Maryland Juice provides some post-election updates regarding leadership shuffles in Annapolis and more:

JUICE #1: MEET THE NEW DEMOCRATIC LEADERS IN THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES - Due to retirements and election losses, the House of Delegates was bound to go through a reshuffling of leadership and committee assignments. Speaker Mike Busch just sent out the following press release announcing some of the changes:

SPEAKER BUSCH ANNOUNCES
NEW COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP APPOINTMENTS

ANNAPOLIS, MD – House Speaker Michael E. Busch today announced his first round of leadership appointments following the 2014 general election.   Speaker Busch describes the group collectively as “the right additions to the existing House leadership team to help move us forward into the coming term.”    He adds, “We are fortunate to have such a talented group of individuals to help lead the House.”   Speaker Busch plans to announce additional leadership appointments and committee moves in the coming weeks.

Delegate Maggie McIntosh (Baltimore City, D43) will become Chairman of the Appropriations Committee.   Delegate McIntosh has chaired the Environmental Matters Committee since 2003, but served on the Appropriations Committee early on in her legislative career.  Said Speaker Busch, “Maggie McIntosh is one of the most well respected leaders in Annapolis and I have total confidence in her ability to manage the myriad of subjects that fall within the jurisdiction of the committee, most importantly legislative review and oversight of the State’s annual budget.  She is the right person to take the lead on budget issues as we continue to provide critical services to the citizens of our State and to use our resources to foster a growing economy.”  

Delegate Kumar Barve (Montgomery County, D17) will become the Chairman of the newly designated Environment & Transportation Committee (formerly Environmental Matters).   Moving forward, transportation policy issues will be consolidated within the Committee’s subject matter jurisdiction.   Delegate Barve has served as Majority Leader since 2003 and prior to that served on the House Economic Matters Committee under then-Chairman Busch.  He currently sits on the Ways and Means Committee.   Said Speaker Busch, “Delegate Barve has demonstrated time and time again his command of complex issues and he is a natural choice of someone to guide State environment and transportation policy.”  

Delegate Adrienne Jones (Baltimore County, D10) will remain Speaker Pro Tem and will now oversee State higher education policy as Chairman of the Education and Economic Development Subcommittee in the Appropriations Committee.   Delegate Jones was Busch’s first appointment as a newly elected Speaker in 2003.   Said Speaker Busch, “Delegate Jones is one of the most versatile leaders in the House.  She is a consensus builder and an extremely hard worker.  With job growth and economic development at the forefront of our agenda in the coming term, I can think of no better person to lead on policy and budget issues related to our system of higher education.”   Delegate Jones will also continue to serve as the Chairman of the Capital Budget Subcommittee.

Having served as an instrumental member of the Ways and Means Committee since 2003 and as the Chair of the Education Subcommittee since 2007, Delegate Anne R. Kaiser (Montgomery County, D14) has been appointed as the Majority Leader.  Delegate Kaiser will also maintain her roles on the Ways and Means Committee. “Anne Kaiser has worked tirelessly for the House Democratic Caucus and demonstrated leadership capabilities on crucial legislative priorities,” said Speaker Busch.

Assuming the role of Vice Chairman of the Environment and Transportation Committee will be Delegate Dana Stein (Baltimore County, D11).   Stein was first elected to the House in 2006 and serves on the Environmental Matters Committee.   Said Speaker Busch, “Delegate Stein is a thoughtful legislator whose considerable knowledge and even temperament make him an ideal choice for Vice Chairman.”

Delegate Sally Jameson (Charles County, D28) will become Vice Chairman of the Economic Matters Committee.   Delegate Jameson is a long-time member of the Committee (since 2003) and is known for her work on energy issues.   Said Speaker Busch, “Delegate Jameson brings a business background and a pragmatic approach to the important workforce and economic development issues handled in the Economic Matters Committee.”

Delegate Marvin Holmes (Prince George’s County, D23B) will become Chairman of the Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics.    Delegate Holmes has been a member of the House since 2003 and has served in a number of leadership roles.   “Delegate Holmes is a model public servant and a person of great integrity.   He is the clear choice to Chair this important committee,” said Speaker Busch.

Delegate James Proctor (Prince Georges and Charles Counties, D27A), Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, will remain in that role and also assume the House Chairmanship of the Spending Affordability Committee.     The Committee plays a critical role in the budgeting process as it annually establishes State spending guidelines based on current and projected economic conditions.   Said Speaker Busch, “Delegate Proctor’s commitment to public service and his budgetary experience is unparalleled and I look forward to his continued leadership in this new role.”

# # # 

JUICE #2: ATTORNEY GENERAL DOUG GANSLER TO BECOME PARTNER AT DC LAW FIRM - Doug Gansler will wait out the next four years until the 2018 cycle as a partner at a downtown law firm. He announced the move in a press release yesterday (excerpt below):

Attorney General Doug Gansler Announces Post-Term Plans

Law firm partnership fits with AG’s extensive litigation experience

Baltimore, MD (Nov. 18, 2014) – Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that he will be joining the law firm, BuckleySandler LLP, when he completes his second term as Maryland Attorney General on January 12, 2015. AG Gansler will step into BuckleySandler as a Partner in its Washington, DC office where he will play a leading role in the firm’s government enforcement and litigation practices. The former President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) will also assist firm clients in complying with and managing increased regulatory expectations on issues ranging from consumer protection to cybersecurity and privacy. 

“I am extremely proud of the great things we’ve been able to accomplish during my eight years as Maryland’s Attorney General,” said Attorney General Gansler. “I will be leaving this office satisfied that our efforts made a positive impact on Maryland and across the country.”

“Joining BuckleySandler gives me the opportunity to practice law with longtime friends at one of the nation’s preeminent litigation and enforcement law firms. I am looking forward to putting those years of litigation experience to work on a regular basis.”

JUICE #3: CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORMERS SEE OPPORTUNITY IN HOGAN WIN - This week Common Cause MD and Progressive MD convened campaign finance reformers for a panel discussion in Silver Spring, MD. Speaking toward the opportunities to tackle the problem of money-in-politics were gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur, Congressman John Sarbanes, Montgomery Councilmember Phil Andrews, and Delegate Eric Luedtke. The packed house heard interesting commentary indicating reformers are hopeful that incoming Governor Larry Hogan (who is the first candidate to win a Governor's race with public financing) may embrace their cause:

JuiceBlender: MD House Speaker Announces New Committee Members, Garagiola Firmly Supports Death Penalty & More!

Below Maryland Juice highlights a few noteworthy tidbits for Free State politicos:

JUICE #1 // FUNNY: BANKRUPT MARYLAND REPUBLICANS - Maryland Juice recently caught this amusing image and caption on the #mdpolitics feed on Twitter:

Day 3 of 2013 session. I never thought they'd be so upfront about it...  #mdpolitics #annapolis  pic.twitter.com/02Iwfp7F

JUICE #2 // NOT FUNNY: SEN. ROB GARAGIOLA FIRMLY SUPPORTS GOVERNMENT EXECUTIONS: With the big push progressives are making to repeal the death penalty in Maryland, it appears that they cannot yet count on support from State Senator Rob Garagiola (who was recently endorsed by numerous progressive groups like MoveOn in his recent run for Congress). Check out the following excerpt from The Baltimore Sun's coverage:

Garagiola firm on keeping death penalty

A Montgomery County senator whose vote death penalty opponents had hoped to sway this year said Friday that he is firmly committed to keeping capital punishment on the books.... Garagiola is the lone senator from Montgomery County who supports retention of the death penalty.... With his vote unavailable, the path to the minimum 24 votes to pass a bill becomes a bit narrower.

JUICE #3 // MARYLAND HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE BUSCH ANNOUNCES COMMITTEE SHUFFLES: A Maryland Juice source forwarded us the following press release from the office of Maryland House Speaker Mike Busch. The Democratic leader has made some changes to the leadership and committee membership in the Maryland House. Details below:

PRESS RELEASE

SPEAKER BUSCH ANNOUNCES COMMITTEE AND LEADERSHIP APPOINTMENTS

ANNAPOLIS, MD – House Speaker Michael E. Busch today announced committee assignments for six standing committees in the House of Delegates, as well as appointments to new leadership positions.  In the upcoming session, Appropriations, Economic Matters, and Environmental Matters each will have 24, Health & Government Operations will have 23 and Judiciary and Ways & Means will each have 22 members.

The committees are balanced to reflect the demographic, geographic and party makeup of the legislature.

The following Delegates were appointed today.  Delegates not included on this list will maintain their current committee assignments.

LEADERSHIP APPOINTMENTS

• Delegate Anne Healey (District 22), Chair, House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee
• Delegate Jay Walker (District 26), Vice Chair, House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee
• Delegate Samuel I. Rosenberg (District 41), House Chair, Administrative, Executive, Legislative Review Committee
• Delegate Frank Turner (District 13), Vice Chairman, Ways and Means Committee
• Delegate Benjamin Barnes (District 21), Chief Deputy Majority Whip
• Delegate Shawn Tarrant (District 40), Chief Deputy Majority Whip
• Delegate Anne Kaiser (District 14), Vice Chair, House Democratic Caucus
• Delegate Hattie Harrison (District 45), Chairman Emeritus
• Delegate Rudolph Cane (District 37A), Assistant Speaker Pro Tem

APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

• Delegate Guy Guzzone (District 13), Chair, Public Safety & Administration Subcommittee
• Delegate Craig Zucker (District 14), Vice Chair, Public Safety & Administration Subcommittee
• Delegate Keith Haynes (District 44), Delegate Steve DeBoy (District 12A), and Delegate Craig Zucker (District 14) are new members of the Capital Budget Subcommittee, representing Baltimore City, Baltimore and Montgomery Counties.

ECONOMIC MATTERS COMMITTEE

• Delegate Galen Clagett (District 3A)

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

• Delegate Glen Glass (District 34B)
• Delegate Samuel I. Rosenberg (District 41)

WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE

• Delegate Eric Luedtke (District 14), Chair, Financial Resources Subcommittee
• Delegate Don Dwyer (District 31)
• Delegate Alonzo Washington (District 22)

# # #

Maryland Gambling Expansion Heading to November Ballot // ROLL CALL: House Barely Approves Table Games & PG Casino

PLUS: SEE HOUSE ROLL CALL INFO & ANOTHER GAMBLING MAILER BELOW

Local political reporters are all highlighting the results of Maryland's second special legislative session in 2012. After weeks of heated debate, the Maryland House of Delegates approved the gambling expansion plan -- with no votes to spare. Gambling proponents needed 71 votes in the House to pass gambling, and they received exactly 71 votes. The State Senate already approved the gambling expansion plan on Friday, so about an hour ago, Gov. Martin O'Malley signed the casino referendum bill. That means that gambling is heading to the November ballot alongside marriage equality, the Dream Act, and Maryland's Congressional redistricting plan.

SENATE PRESIDENT MIKE MILLER NOW CLAIMS GAMBLING "NOT THE WAY" TO FUND GOVERNMENT - Below is a quick round-up of local news coverage about the Maryland House's approval of the gambling bill. Amazingly, Senate President Mike Miller -- who is directly responsible for the casino push in Maryland -- is now saying gambling is "not the way" to fund government! See an excerpt from the Maryland Reporter special session coverage below:

MARYLAND REPORTER: By the bare minimum of 71 votes, the House of Delegates Monday night gave Senate President Mike Miller the kind of “sine die” adjournment he had expected April 9: The delegates passed a bill asking voters in November to approve table games and a sixth gambling casino in Prince George’s County....

A subdued Miller, believed by most legislators to have bullied O’Malley and Busch back into session, refused to gloat or take a victory lap after the Senate concurred in the House amendments and passed the bill 32-14....

“It’s a fad, it’s a fancy, it’s wrong, it’s not the way to fund government,” Miller told reporters. But Maryland needed to take full advantage of the gambling craze while it lasted....

KEY PROVISIONS OF GAMBLING BILL: Lastly, The Baltimore Sun had a very quick roundup of the key provisions in the newly approved casino referendum. The most important changes are the addition of a Prince George's gambling site, tax cuts for slot machine operators, and the addition of Vegas-style table games to Maryland casinos (eg: craps, blackjack, roulette, etc).

HOUSE OF DELEGATES GAMBLING ROLL CALL VOTE - The Baltimore Sun printed the roll call for the Maryland House gambling vote today. You can see the full roster at their site, but we highlight the Democratic "NO" votes below:

DEMOCRATS WHO VOTED "NO" ON HOUSE GAMBLING BILL:

1. Alston, Tiffany T. (D) Prince George's
2. Barkley, Charles E. (D) Montgomery
3. Beidle, Pamela G. (D) Anne Arundel
4. Carter, Jill P. (D) Baltimore
5. Gilchrist, James W. (D) Montgomery
6. Griffith, Melony G. (D) Prince George's
7. Hammen, Peter A. (D) Baltimore
8. Holmes, Marvin E., Jr. (D) Prince George's
9. James, Mary-Dulany (D) Harford
10. Kelly, Ariana B. (D) Montgomery
11. Lee, Susan C. (D) Montgomery
12. Miller, Aruna (D) Montgomery
13. Mizeur, Heather R. (D) Montgomery
14. Morhaim, Dan K. (D) Baltimore Co.
15. Murphy, Peter F. (D) Charles
16. Niemann, Doyle L. (D) Pr. George's
17. Pena-Melnyk, Joseline A. (D) Prince George's
18. Robinson, A. Shane (D) Montgomery
19. Simmons, Luiz R. S. (D) Montgomery
20. Sophocleus, Theodore J. (D) Anne Arundel
21. Vaughn, Michael L. (D) Prince George's
22. Wood, John F., Jr. (D) St. Mary's

DIRECT MAIL & MEDIA WAR BREWING? - Given how much money was spent by groups on the public relations battle surrounding gambling, we could see a decent amount of paid propaganda in Maryland. In the closing days of the special session fight, a reader sent us the following direct mail piece that a group called CSOA sent to Maryland voters. They added the following comments about the origin of the mailer:

ANONYMOUS READER: A little late, so I don't know if you're still interested in it but here's the gambling mailer I got Monday.  The most interesting/weirdest thing about it (to me) is that it's from a group called CSOA but it doesn't say what that stands for. If you google CSOA Maryland, a race horse owner's group comes up... I guess they're mad that gambling is coming to National Harbor but not Rosecroft. Also, it seems to be targeted towards PG residents and I live in Howard county?

CSOA Maryland Gambling Direct Mail

PS - PIT BULL LEGISLATION DIED IN SPECIAL SESSION - One other piece of legislation was dealt with in the special session. Pit bull owners were rallying to stop a Maryland Court of Appeals decision that pit bulls are inherently dangerous. The Patch's Bryan Sears noted (excerpt below):

TOWSON PATCH: ... a bill meant to overturn a controversial Court of Appeals ruling that declared pit bulls an inherently dangerous dog breed failed after Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said the House gave senators a "take it or leave it" ultimatum.

MORE ON THE MARYLAND GAMBLING REFERENDUM SOON!

Gov. Martin O'Malley Announces Special Session for Aug. 9 // MoCo Leaders Held Heated Meeting to Debate Gambling

UPDATE: The Baltimore Sun last night reported that casino company MGM is no longer pursuing a tax cut for Maryland slot machines. The company is hoping to build a casino at Prince George's County's National Harbor, but had insisted that Maryland's 67% tax on slot machine revenue be lowered. Maryland lawmakers were then barraged with direct mail and calls from constituents complaining about lowering taxes on casino owners while ordinary residents were facing a tax increase. See an excerpt from The Baltimore Sun report below:

BALTIMORE SUN: The chief executive officer of MGM Resorts International, which wants to open a luxury casino at National Harbor, said Thursday that his company has dropped efforts to win tax breaks from the Maryland General Assembly to build a gambling palace at the Prince George's County site....

In an interview with The Baltimore Sun, Murren conceded the line of attack has resonated. "It has played very well," Murren said. "'Why give tax breaks to billionaire casino guys when you've raised my taxes?'"

SPECIAL GAMBLING SESSION AUGUST 9TH: Earlier this week, Maryland Juice broke news that the state legislators could expect to return to Annapolis for a special legislative session to debate gambling expansion. This morning, several Twitter users confirmed that Gov. Martin O'Malley announced that he would call the legislature back to work on August 9th. See the photo and Tweet from Maryland politico P. Kenneth Burns below:

BREAKING: Maryland Democratic Leaders Reach Tentative Gambling Deal // August 8th Proposed for Special Session?

UPDATE: An anonymous legislator has indicated to Maryland Juice that they have been asked to clear the week of August 9-14. Additionally, news outlets are reporting that House Speaker Mike Busch is expecting Gov. O'Malley to call for a special session (see ie: Washington Examiner & Baltimore Sun).

GAMBLING SESSION FORTHCOMING: Maryland Juice is confirming that the State's Democratic leadership appears to have a struck a deal for a special gambling session. Governor Martin O'Malley, House Speaker Mike Busch and Senate President Mike Miller will likely imminently announce that around August 8th they will call Senators and Delegates back to Annapolis to try and place a gambling referendum on the ballot this November. I am receiving cautionary notes that the fragile deal could fall apart, so take these details with a grain of salt. But so far, it looks like things are moving forward. Sources indicate several issues are expected to be addressed in the new gambling push:

VIDEO: Maryland Juice & Sen. David Harrington Explain Budget Battle on News Channel 8 // P.G. Casinos, Pension Shift & More

BACKGROUND: This morning, Maryland Juice had the opportunity to appear on News Channel 8's News Talk show. I appeared alongside former State Senator David Harrington (Prince George's Democrat) to talk about what outcomes to expect from Maryland's special legislative session.

As you may have heard, Maryland lawmakers failed to pass a complete budget package when they adjourned last April. The Maryland House and Senate returned to work today to try and pass a plan that would reduce the State's structural deficit, preserve education funding, and impact only the top 16% of earners with a modest 0.25% tax hike. Under the new plan, a family making $170,000 a year would see their tax bill rise a little over $20/month. We posted leaked copies of the budget plan on Friday night. Most observers expect these bills to pass without significant change, and for the legislature to be done with its business by Wednesday.

Watch my News Channel 8 conversation with former Sen. David Harrington below:




The Associated Press today had a quick summary of Maryland's budget debate (excerpt below):

AP: Lawmakers headed back to Annapolis for a three-day special session to approve a budget deal hashed out by Gov. Martin O'Malley and House and Senate leaders....

The Democratic governor says the tax hikes are necessary to avoid cuts to education and other critical services.

O'Malley met with Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch to craft the tax plan and other measures after the Democratic-controlled legislature failed to approve a budget plan on the final day of the session.

Outside the special session, Americans for Prosperity, a Tea Party group, carried signs for hours, angry over the likelihood of major tax hikes.

However, the governor, House and Senate reached a deal to raise $250 million in taxes on the 17 percent of Maryland residents who make at least $100,000 a year alone or $150,000 jointly with a spouse.

They will also shift more of the burden for teacher pensions from the state and onto counties.

MORE ON MARYLAND'S SPECIAL SESSION SOON!

DOCUMENTS: Maryland Special Session Budget & Tax Package Revealed // Public Hearings Scheduled on Monday 5/14

A Maryland Juice source has provided us with the proposed budget, revenue and bond items that the state legislature is taking up in a special session on Monday, May 14th. Below we provide copies of Senate & House versions of: 1) Budget Bill, 2) Revenue Bill, and 3) School Construction/Renovation Bond Bill.

The schedule for the hearings on these bills is as follows:

• House Budget & School Bond Bill - MON 5/14 at 1:00 PM - Room 120, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis
• House Revenue Bill - MON 5/14 at 2:00 PM - Room 130, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis
• Senate Budget, Revenue & School Bond Bills - MON 5/14 at 11:00 AM - 3 West, 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis

For information on how to testify, visit the the Maryland Assembly website. Below, we provide full copies of the bills in question:


Maryland House Budget Bill - 2012 Special Session  

Washington Post: Maryland Missed An Opportunity to Abolish the Death Penalty // Connecticut Set to End State Killings

RETWEET

The Washington Post yesterday issued an editorial lamenting that lawmakers once again failed to abolish the death penalty in "The Free State." Maryland Juice seconds their motion for action to end the practice. Their commentary flags many of the major policy problems that arise when allowing the state to execute people (see excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Connecticut is set to become what Maryland should have been: the most recent state to abolish capital punishment.

With the expected signature of Gov. Dan Malloy (D) within the next few days, Connecticut would become the 17th state to repeal the death penalty and the fifth in the past five years....

CHAOS: Maryland Budget Stalemate Unfolds on Twitter // Doomsday Cuts Unless O'Malley Intervenes to Extend Session

UPDATE: According to remarks that appeared in The Baltimore Sun, Governor O'Malley plans on calling a special session -- but not before House and Senate leaders have come to an actual agreement.

Chaos unfolded as we crossed past midnight last night, on what was supposed to be the last day of Maryland's 2012 legislative session. Below we highlight comments from various politicos on Twitter that were made as the drama unfolded.

Notably, the Maryland General Assembly adjourned without a complete budget package. Most observers could not remember the last time this had happened. As a result of the budget stalemate, Maryland will lapse into a "doomsday budget" with massive education cuts, unless Governor Martin O'Malley intervenes and calls for a special legislative session. Below we highlight a few points of conflict between the House and Senate, and we flag a few interesting subplots and moments from yesterday's contentious legislative session. We kick off the post with a brief summary of what went down from an article today at Maryland Reporter (excepts below):

MARYLAND REPORTER: The members of the General Assembly passed a $35.6 billion balanced budget as they were required to do by midnight Monday. But without the income tax hike they failed to enact, it is the doomsday budget that contains $512 million in additional cuts, much of it to education.

A clearly angry Gov. Martin O’Malley told reporters the General Assembly failed to protect the priorities that state voters expected them to do. But in a brief press conference, he did not announce he would call a special session, as the Senate and House leaders expect him to do.

“There was 90 days to work all this out,” O’Malley said as he walked away....

The cuts include over $200 million to K-12 education and $63 million to colleges and universities. State employees would not get a 2% cost of living increase ($33 million) and agency operating expenses would be cut 8%.

The article at Maryland Reporter also highlights some of the key points of contention between the House and the Senate:

O’Malley and House Speaker Michael Busch both blamed Senate President Mike Miller’s insistence on a gaming measure for Prince George’s County for holding up action. But others, including delegates and senators on the conference committee, said the hard philosophical positions on both sides played a role....

The gaming bill, which passed the House Ways and Means Committee Monday afternoon, never came to the House floor.

The House never brought up the tax hike that the House and Senate negotiators agreed to around 8 p.m. An unhappy group of senators had given into adamant delegates over the form of income tax hikes.

The House version raised less money than the Senate, increasing rates by .25% on individuals making more than $100,000 and lowering their exemptions....

“We did the best we could,” Miller said. He admitted that there would be many constituents that would be happy about the drastic budget cuts.

FINGER-POINTING: Throughout yesterday, Maryland Juice was hearing rumblings from folks in Annapolis about the House and Senate spats. Each side was pointing fingers at the other, and at times things got heated. Take a look at the following photo posted on Twitter by The Washington Post's Aaron Davis yesterday. The image shows members of the Maryland House testily waiting for negotiators from the Senate to resume negotiations:

The Washington Times earlier in the day had coverage that highlighted sources of friction between the House and the Senate. They confirm some of the points in the Maryland Reporter coverage and also provide specificity about some budget items:

WASHINGTON TIMES: The House and Senate are locked in a standoff on the final scheduled day of the 2012 General Assembly, as leaders of both chambers have yet to compromise on a set of tax increases as part of the state’s budget....

The chambers have agreed to raise income-tax rates and lower the value of personal exemptions on single residents making more than $100,000 and couples making more than $150,000 but are divided on whether to also lower exemption values for residents who earn below those thresholds.

The Senate wants to lower the value of personal exemptions from $3,200 to $3,000 for earners below the mark, but the House is intent on making sure that no tax increases affect residents making less than six figures a year....

Either chamber’s proposal would produce a balanced budget, but Senate members argued larger revenue increases are needed to prevent further tax hikes in the near future....

Negotiators have resolved most other aspects of the state budget package, but talks took a more adversarial tone Monday as Senate leaders argued they have made all the compromises thus far and that the House refuses to reciprocate.

House leaders accused the Senate of intentionally holding up the budget to pressure the House into passing a gambling bill that could bring table games to the state and a casino to Prince George’s County.

THREE O'MALLEY PRESS CONFERENCES: You can see Governor O'Malley's displeasure with this situation as it grows throughout the day, by looking at three back-to-back press conferences he held. Maryland Reporter posted a video of the Governor speaking after the close of the legislative session, while the Patch published two video of Mr. O'Malley speaking to the press before the close of session. See the three videos below. We start with Governor O'Malley's comments made after the meltdown emerged. In blistering comments (see the first video), he stated:

GOVERNOR O'MALLEY: I have to tell you that sadly we did not protect the priorities of public education this session, like we should have, like we could have -- as we had the ability to do -- and we didn't protect affordable college. I'm going to talk to the Speaker, and I'm going to talk to the Senate President. There was 90 days to work all of this out. 

O'MALLEY AFTER CLOSE OF SESSION (MD Reporter)

O'MALLEY ONE HOUR BEFORE CLOSE OF SESSION (Patch)

O'MALLEY ELEVEN HOURS BEFORE CLOSE OF SESSION (Patch)



TWITTER DRAMA: Much of the drama could be seen unfolding throughout the day on Twitter. Below, Maryland Juice provides screencaps of an array of tweets that were sent by politicos during the budget battle. Our panel of conscripted Tweeters includes Washington Post reporter Aaron Davis, Examiner reporter Ben Giles, the Real Prince George's blog, Democratic Delegates Jill Carter and Ariana Kelly, Republican Delegate Justin Ready, Democratic Senator Rich Madaleno, and Governor Martin O'Malley. View a snapshot of the craziness below:

PRINCE GEORGE'S GAMBLING TAKES SPOTLIGHT

MID-AFTERNOON HOUSE AND SENATE STANDOFF

A FAILED ATTEMPT TO EXTEND THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

SESSION ENDS & DOOMSDAY BUDGET KICKS IN

Guest Pundit: An Anonymous Legislator Highlights Fallout from MD Redistricting // Who is Leaving the Statehouse?

UPDATE: Yesterday, Maryland Reporter highlighted a few notable redistricting tidbits, including this comment about Mr. Busch's district: 

His new two-member district 30A moves Republican Del. Ron George out of the district where he got more votes than Busch, into another district where George may have to run against other Republicans.

The new district lines will also make it more difficult for Republican Del. Herb McMillan to win reelection since it moves GOP voters south into a heavily Republican single-member district now represented by Republican Del. Bob Costa, chair of the Anne Arundel County delegation now controlled by the GOP.... 

In Carroll County, the new District 5 includes almost all of the county, now represented by Republican Sen. Joe Getty, and packs four GOP incumbent delegates into a three-member district.

Yesterday, Maryland Juice wrote about how House Speaker Mike Busch's legislative district was becoming more Democratic in 2012. We also mentioned that Busch staying in office would reduce opportunities for politicians to move up the leadership ladder in Annapolis. An anonymous legislator has responded with a more nuanced view, highlighting that some politicians will benefit from Mr. Busch's extended stay:

Guest Pundit: Sure, Busch running again is bad for people at the top of the food chain (ie: those whose only real way up is if Busch doesn't stay speaker until 2018). That is why a lot of those people are looking elsewhere: think Kumar Barve, Maggie McIntosh, and Dereck Davis. Those were the three names in the wings for speaker, although Davis is definitely young enough that he'll still be in the running in 2018 if he sticks around.

But Busch running for office again is also good for people in the middle and lower ranks. As people higher up the chain begin leaving because they lack opportunities to move up, that opens up spots for the middle and lower ranks of the Democratic caucus. The Democratic members of the House of Delegates who are thinking of moving on or are rumored to be thinking about it are:

MD Redistricting: House Speaker Mike Busch Gets a New District // Anonymous Legislators on What It Means

On August 15th, Maryland Juice reported on rumors that House Speaker Mike Busch might seek a single-member-district. He is currently the sole Democrat, alongside two Republican Delegates, in a three-seat-district. With the release of Maryland's 2012 state legislative districts, it appears that the rumors were partially true. Mr. Busch will now serve in a more Democratic two-member district, while the Republicans appear to be concentrated in a new single member district 30B. Two Maryland legislators contacted us to highlight this new development. See Mr. Busch's new District 30A below, along with a view of his current D30:

Our two legislators also had the following anonymous comments:

Breaking: Delegate Kumar Barve is "All In" for Comptroller

Last month, Washington Post writer John Wagner, posted this interview with Delegate Kumar Barve, indicating his interest in the Maryland Comptroller's race:

“If it’s an open position, I’d definitely be interested,” Barve said. “You’re in a position to really work on issues like efficiency in government.”

That article was published on June 17, 2011. It is nearly one month later, so we decided to check in with Delegate Barve on the status of his decision-making. His response: if incumbent Comptroller Peter Franchot vacates his position, Mr. Barve is "all in" for the race.

I'm honestly a little surprised to see the Comptroller's race drawing serious candidates so quickly, but there are a couple of factors at play:

Blog Preview: Redistricting, leadership battles and an early look at 2014.

As Maryland Juice prepares to launch, I thought I'd give a quick preview on the initial content we want to highlight. I've begun reaching out to elected officials and Maryland politicos for the inside scoop on what's not being covered, and there's a lot of juicy content out there! So here we go....

On the Radar:

• State legislative and local redistricting: [Bartlett vs. Harris] vs. [Kratovil vs. Democratic Party]
• An early snapshot of the 2014 races: Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, County Executive and more!
• Jockeying for leadership positions: What's happening to Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Mike Busch?
• Random thoughts: Will the DC suburbs displace Baltimore as the anchor of political power in Maryland, curfew politics, and more.

If there are other topics you think we should be poking around on, please reply in the comments, or email david@marylandjuice.com.