ROLL CALL: Maryland House & Senate Approve Millions in Tax Cuts for Lockheed // PLUS: Candidates Consider Impact on 2014

UPDATE: Shortly after posting this article, several Maryland Juice sources indicated that three lawmakers changed their votes before publication of the "official record." As a result, the unofficial verified tally we published below needs to be updated. The affected lawmakers are: Del. Wendell Beitzel (District 1A Republican), Del. Ron George (District 30 Republican), and Del. Sheila Hixson (District 20 Democrat).

Delegates Beitzel and George switched from "no" votes to "yes" votes in support of the Lockheed welfare bill. Delegate Hixson's vote switched from a "yes" vote to a "no" vote against the Lockheed welfare bill. Below we provide an updated version of the Lockheed welfare roll call and analysis below. We also provide a screencap of the original roll call, so that you can see the adjustments.

Today the Maryland House of Delegates passed a multimillion dollar corporate welfare bill for Pentagon contractor Lockheed Martin. The taxpayer handout was approved in a 102-35 vote in the State House, over the objections of advocacy organizations who claim to have generated thousands of constituent emails urging lawmakers to reject the proposal. The vote was a similarly lopsided 37-9 a few weeks ago in the State Senate, but in both chambers Republicans and Democrats alike crossed the aisle to cut taxes for the cash-flush multinational corporation. Apparently the two parties can agree on something!

[  TELL GOV. O'MALLEY TO VETO THE LOCKHEED WELFARE PLAN ]

ROLL CALL & ANALYSIS: Below Maryland Juice produces the full House & Senate roll call on the Lockheed welfare bill (sorted by legislative district), along with a few quick analyses and insights into the bizarre voting patterns that emerged on the issue. Indeed, there are some interesting political dynamics embedded within the Lockheed vote. Here are a few highlights from the roll call:

• BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR LOCKHEED WELFARE, BUT GOP MORE OPPOSED - In the Maryland House, the Lockheed welfare bill passed in a 102 to 35 vote. The 35 votes against corporate welfare came from 24 Democrats and 11 Republicans. But it is worth noting that between the two parties, a larger percentage of GOP House members voted against the Lockheed bill than Democrats (26% of Republicans vs 24% of Democrats). Indeed, Maryland Dems should feel more shame than they seem to about approving such a crass corporate giveaway.

• HALF OF MOCO'S HOUSE MEMBERS VOTED AGAINST THE LOCKHEED BILL - Notably, the Lockheed welfare bill was mysteriously filed as a statewide bill this year even though it only impacts a single facility in Montgomery County. Ordinarily, such a bill would be considered a local bill and deference would be given to lawmakers representing Montgomery County. But it appears that MoCo's legislative delegation was extremely divided on whether to give a handout to Lockheed - even though the company is headquartered there. 3 of 8 MoCo Senators and 12 of 24 MoCo Delegates voted against the Lockheed plan. Here's a fascinating round-up showing how Montgomery County's all-Democratic delegation voted:

• DISTRICT 14 - NO: Sen. Karen Montgomery & Del. Eric Luedtke; YES: Del. Anne Kaiser & Del. Craig Zucker

• DISTRICT 15 - NO: Nobody; YES: Sen. Rob Garagiola, Del. Kathleen Dumais, Del. Brian Feldman & Del. Aruna Miller

• DISTRICT 16 - NO: Sen. Brian Frosh, Del. Bill Frick & Del. Susan Lee; YES: Del. Ariana Kelly

• DISTRICT 17 - NO: Del. Luiz Simmons;  YES: Sen. Jennie Forehand, Del. Kumar Barve & Del. Jim Gilchrest

• DISTRICT 18 - NO: Del. Al Carr & Del. Jeff Waldstreicher;  YES: Sen. Rich Madaleno, NOT VOTING: Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez

• DISTRICT 19 - NO: Del. Sam Arora, Del. Bonnie Cullison & Del. Ben Kramer, YES: Sen. Roger Manno

• DISTRICT 20 - NO: Sen. Jamie Raskin, Del. Sheila Hixson, Del. Tom Hucker & Del. Heather Mizeur; YES: Nobody

• DISTRICT 39 - NO: Nobody; YES: Sen. Nancy King, Del. Charles Barkley, Del. Kirill Reznik & Del. Shane Robinson 

• EVERY MOCO LAWMAKER SEEKING HIGHER OFFICE VOTED AGAINST LOCKHEED WELFARE - It is worth noting that every single Montgomery County lawmaker who is seriously weighing a 2014 run for higher office voted against the Lockheed welfare plan. Sen. Brian Frosh & Del. Bill Frick are both running for Attorney General and voted against the handout. Del. Susan Lee is seeking Frosh's State Senate seat and also voted against the Lockheed plan. Notably, all three of these lawmakers represent the area encompassing Lockheed's headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. Likewise, Del. Heather Mizeur is running for Governor and voted against the Lockheed bill, as did Del. Luiz Simmons, who is rumored to be preparing for a 2014 State Senate campaign. 

• THREE OUT OF 4 ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATES VOTED AGAINST LOCKHEED BILL - At last count, there were at least four Democrats plotting runs for 2014 Attorney General: Sen. Brian Frosh and Delegates Aisha Braveboy, Jon Cardin & Bill Frick. Frosh, Braveboy and Frick all voted against the Lockheed plan, leaving Del. Cardin as the lone Lockheed supporter in the AG's race.

• TWO SPONSORS OF LOCKHEED BILL VOTED AGAINST IT - Notably, two sponsors of the Lockheed welfare plan voted against their own bill: Delegates Bill Frick and Eric Luedtke. Luedtke may have been swayed by the pleas of some of his supporters to reject the bill, but Frick's "no" vote is more interesting -- because by many accounts he was the early driving force behind the bill in the House. Maryland Juice thinks 2014 may have something to do with this change, but what do I know.... This outcome was foreshadowed by the House Ways & Means Committee vote on the Lockheed bill, where both Frick & Luedtke surprised observers by voting against the welfare bill. 

NOTE: If Gov. Martin O'Malley signs this ridiculous corporate tax cut into law, Montgomery County officials will be forced to forgo $4.5 million in revenue every ten years in perpetuity. Notably, Lockheed Martin is already getting reimbursed by the Feds for the tax payments they are now trying to avoid paying. Maryland Juice asked a few MoCo politicos to weigh in on this matter, including some County Councilmembers and potential 2014 House candidates. We'll publish their commentary in part 2 of this article soon. In the meantime, check out the Lockheed roll call below -- we'll eventually post it permanently at www.LockheedWelfare.com:

LOCKHEED MARTIN WELFARE BILL 

BELOW: FULL MARYLAND HOUSE & SENATE ROLL CALL

ARGH: Lockheed Martin Corporate Welfare is Still Alive! // Del. Sheila Hixson Explains $1 Million "Compromise" to Local Dems

BACKGROUND: Maryland Juice has been following the persistent effort by state lawmakers to give a taxpayer-funded handout to weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin -- in exchange for nothing at all.  After years of failed attempts to persuade Montgomery County Councilmembers to issue Lockheed Martin millions of dollars in taxpayer funds, the Pentagon contractor's lobbyists are now pushing the state legislature to force MoCo to give Lockheed money. The public resistance to the Lockheed welfare plan has slowed down momentum for the legislation, but the bill simply won't die. Legislative leaders seem determined to give Lockheed Martin our tax dollars, and they are now on their third attempt to give away our money:

WELFARE ATTEMPT #1 - First our representatives tried to give Lockheed $1.8 million in straight up cash, plus $4.5 million in tax cuts every ten years.

WELFARE ATTEMPT #2 - After outcry from progressive advocates, the State Senate voted for a modified plan to "only" give Lockheed $4.5 million in tax cuts every ten years in perpetuity.  The State Senate recently voted 37-9 in favor of this "compromise" welfare plan for Lockheed.

WELFARE ATTEMPT #3 - After the Senate voted to support a handout for Lockheed, the bill advanced to the Maryland House Ways & Means Committee. In anticipation of the successful Senate vote,  Lockheed lobbyists planned a steak dinner at Ruth's Chris for Ways & Means members -- but they mysteriously canceled the dinner a few hours before it was scheduled to begin. Meanwhile, opponents of the Lockheed welfare plan called on Ways & Means Chair Sheila Hixson to use her position to kill the handout. We've been waiting for a sign as to whether Delegate Hixson planned on helping us out, and today we finally got a hint on Twitter. It appears that the public pressure is working, and Hixson may be being helpful in trying to weaken the Lockheed bill:



But it should be made clear that this third version of the Lockheed welfare bill is still unacceptable on substance, and the primary ask is for Committee Chair Sheila Hixson to simply kill the Lockheed bill once and for all. The compromise plan would still grant nearly $1 million in unjustified tax cuts to Lockheed at the expense of other vital services for Montgomery County residents.

CONTACT DEL. SHEILA HIXSON AND HOUSE WAYS & MEANS MEMBERS - On Thursday, the Ways & Means Committee will hold a hearing on the Lockheed Martin handout. Please contact Chair Sheila Hixson and the rest of the committee members  and urge them to kill this special interest handout. Delegate Hixson's email address is: sheila.hixson@house.state.md.us. Below we also provide the email addresses of the Ways & Means Committee members:

MARYLAND HOUSE WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE

1. Sheila Hixson (D Chair) - sheila.hixson@house.state.md.us
2. Frank Turner (D Vice-Chair) - frank.turner@house.state.md.us
3. Kathy Afzali (R) - kathy.afzali@house.state.md.us
4. Kumar Barve (D) - kumar.barve@house.state.md.us - LOCKHEED BILL SPONSOR
5. Joseph Boteler (R) - joseph.boteler@house.state.md.us
6. Talmadge Branch (D) - talmadge.branch@house.state.md.us
7. Jon Cardin (D) - jon.cardin@house.state.md.us - LOCKHEED BILL SPONSOR
8. Don Dwyer (R) - don.dwyer@house.state.md.us
9. Mark Fisher (R) - mark.fisher@house.state.md.us
10. Bill Frick (D) - bill.frick@house.state.md.us - LOCKHEED BILL SPONSOR
11. Ronald George (R) - ron.george@house.state.md.us
12. Nina Harper (D) - nina.harper@house.state.md.us
13. Carolyn Howard (D) - carolyn.howard@house.state.md.us
14. Jolene Ivey (D) - jolene.ivey@house.state.md.us - LOCKHEED BILL SPONSOR
15. Anne Kaiser (D) - anne.kaiser@house.state.md.us - LOCKHEED BILL SPONSOR
16. Eric Luedtke (D) - eric.luedtke@house.state.md.us - LOCKHEED BILL SPONSOR
17. Aruna Miller (D) - aruna.miller@house.state.md.us - LOCKHEED BILL SPONSOR
18. LeRoy Myers (R) - leroy.myers@house.state.md.us
19. Andrew Serafini (R) - andrew.serafini@house.state.md.us
20. Melvin Stukes (D) - melvin.stukes@house.state.md.us
21. Michael Summers (D) - michael.summers@house.state.md.us
22. Jay Walker (D) - jay.walker@house.state.md.us
23. Alonzo Washington (D) - alonzo.washington@house.state.md.us

MORE ON THE LOCKHEED MARTIN WELFARE BILL SOON!

HILARIOUS: Doug Duncan Had Five Donors in 2012 // Here's Who Contributed to the Former Montgomery County Executive

FOUR OUT OF FIVE DONORS TO DOUG DUNCAN ARE CORPORATIONS

Lately it seems that the mainstream media has been hailing the return of former Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan to the local political scene. After all, Duncan recently announced he would try and regain MoCo's top spot in the June 2014 Democratic Primary. But an astute observer of the MoCo Exec race urged Maryland Juice to check out Duncan's most recent campaign finance filing, and it is indeed a hoot.

In the entirety of 2012, Doug Duncan reported receiving exactly $10,000 in contributions, and the money was raised through five separate donations. Hilariously, four out of five of Duncan's donors are corporations, and the only one that is a real person is the guy whose family controls the other four companies:

2012 - Complete List of Doug Duncan's Corporate Donors

• King KIA
• King Mitsubishi
• King Pontiac Buick GMC, Inc.
• King Volkswagen

2012 - Complete List of Doug Duncan's Individual Donors

• Conrad Aschenbach

EXHIBIT:  On December 28, 2012, Duncan received five separate checks for $2,000:

DUNCAN DEMONSTRATES NEED TO CLOSE MARYLAND'S CAMPAIGN FINANCE "LLC LOOPHOLE" - Indeed, a quick Google search of "Conrad Aschenbach" (Duncan's sole donor) reveals that the 80 year-old Potomac businessman's family runs the King auto dealerships. This donor activity also highlights one of the big loopholes in Maryland's campaign finance laws, which critics have dubbed the "LLC loophole."

Ironically, just yesterday several Delegates and Senators worked with advocates to organize a campaign finance reform rally to highlight the need to reduce the influence of special interest spending in Maryland. The Baltimore Sun's Michael Dresser highlighted the effort (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Under Maryland law, there's a limit to how much money a citizen can donate to state political campaigns - $4,000 to a single candidate, $10,000 in total donations during a four-year election cycle.

But some Marylanders are less limited than others. Take, for instance, the developer Edward St. John. Through dozens of corporations he owns that operate out of the headquarters of St. John Properties in Baltimore County, he's funneled more than $250,000 to Maryland politicians of both parties over the past two years.St. John's generosity - and there are still two years to go in the election cycle - doesn't violate the law. And he's not the only wealthy business owner to sidestep the state caps by using limited liability corporations to boost his giving power into six figures....

Senior Vice President Gerard Wit said St. John Properties would not oppose such changes. He said that when the company donates, it is invariably at a candidate's request. Politicians, he said, are well aware that developers have multiple LLCs that can write checks.

"No developer I ever knew ever calls a politician and says, 'Can I give you some money?' It just doesn't happen," Wit said. "Will it change what we do? It'll save us a fair amount of money."

Advocates of election reform hope the legislature will finally approve changes they've been seeking for decades. Assembly leaders appear more open to campaign finance reform than in the past, when bills to close the LLC loophole were routinely blocked in committee....

Photo Source: Tancread on Flickr.

MORE ON THE RETURN OF DOUG DUNCAN SOON!

National Harbor Developers Paid $271,515 to Defeat Marriage Equality & Dream Act / PAYBACK: VOTE AGAINST QUESTION 7

TIT FOR TAT: GAMBLING SUPPORTERS ARE URGING 
VOTES AGAINST MARRIAGE EQUALITY & DREAM ACT

TIME TO DECLARE WAR ON GAMBLING INDUSTRY IN MARYLAND: Maryland Juice is declaring war on gambling expansion and urging all readers to "vote against" Question 7 on Tuesday, November 6. After it is defeated at the ballot box, let's also make sure the expansion bill dies in all future legislative sessions. 

I had already been planning on releasing a short voter guide about the ballot questions, and I will still do so tomorrow. But right now I am completely incensed by the latest callous shenanigans from those who are "for" Question 7. As far as they are concerned, nothing is more important than rolling out more casinos in Maryland -- nothing at all. Look at the latest voter guide that pro-gambling expansion forces are mailing out, including the insensitive/nativist-style image of a family running:

PETERSON DEVELOPMENT COMPANY FINANCES OPPOSITION TO MARRIAGE EQUALITY & DREAM ACT: The developers of National Harbor, Peterson Development Company, are trying to bring a casino to Prince George's County, and yesterday they spent $271,515 to create a new group to promote gambling expansion (Question 7), and defeat marriage equality (Question 6) and the Dream Act: (Question 4). They registered a new front-group called "Republican Leaders Referendum Guide" -- one of seven groups registered to campaign on Question 7 (gambling expansion):

Peterson Development Company dropped $271,515 into this voter education effort, according to last-minute financial disclosures to the Board of Elections:

Milt Peterson - National Harbor Developer

SURPRISE: NEW PRO-GAMBLING GOP VOTER GUIDE EMERGES - Just minutes ago on Twitter, I stumbled across a new "Republican Voter Guide" that features former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and former MD GOP Party Chair Audrey Scott endorsing a "vote for" gambling expansion and a "vote against" marriage equality and the Dream Act:

Red Maryland blogger Brian Griffiths confirmed that the piece carries an authority line from the new Peterson-backed GOP group:

Note that we previously published a letter to voters from Steele and Scott (yes, the two of them again) telling voters to "vote for" gambling expansion. But that letter was paid for by a group called "FOR Maryland Jobs and Schools."

PRO-QUESTION 7 FINANCIERS DON'T CARE ABOUT MARYLAND: The ballot question contests in Maryland may come down to razor-thin margins, and any spending by outside groups against Questions 4 and 6 is a threat.

After purchasing an unprecedented special legislative session in Maryland, supporters of gambling expansion are now willing to throw the Dream Act & marriage equality under the bus as collateral damage. This is yet another piece of evidence that those financing the casino expansion push aren't motivated by the concerns of ordinary Marylanders. Just look at the backers of question 7, and you'll see lots of people who are well-known for caring about Maryland. Take magician David Copperfield, for example; or boxer Oscar De La Hoya; and if that's not convincing enough, how about the Washington Redskins, who are owned by the Romney-backing man of the people, Dan Snyder.

Indeed, for pro-Question 7 financiers, working with Democrats is purely a transactional experience and just "part of the job." But apparently Democrats in Maryland did not put any conditions on their support for casino expansion, and so the industry feels it can freely spend money against referenda that some have been working very hard to advance. Ish don't think so.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM TIME: FIREWALL MARYLAND FROM SPECIAL INTERESTS: After the November elections, it is clearly time for campaign finance reform in Maryland. The special interest spending we are currently witnessing is an embarrassment in a one-party state, but especially where the one-party is the Democratic Party. Not to mention, we should not forget that we have a serious problem when a pair of companies can purchase an unprecedented special session in Maryland, and use it to advance an issue that was the priority of only a small number of very powerful politicians. It's time for a #CleanSlate.

Reject Special Interest Ownership of Maryland Politics:

VOTE AGAINST QUESTION 7

TV AD // Comptroller Peter Franchot: "I've Seen a Lot of Whoppers About Tax Policy, But Nothing Like Question 7"

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot is turning up the rhetoric a few notches in the Question 7 battle. The 2014 gubernatorial candidate has been a strong opponent of the push for gambling expansion this year, and as a result he has landed himself in a few television advertisements. His latest scorching of the "vote for" Question 7 side is featured prominently in a new television ad urging a "vote against" Question 7. Watch below:

Gambling Opponents Paying People to Attend Rally // PLUS: MGM CEO Asks Maryland Customers to "Vote For" Question 7

QUESTION 7 OPPONENTS PAYING FOR RALLY ATTENDEES: Yesterday, an anonymous reader forwarded Maryland Juice evidence that interests who are pushing a "vote against" gambling expansion (Question 7) are paying people to attend a protest rally. They sent us a link to the following Craigslist ad:

Here's the text of the ad if you click on the link:

Rally participant/filler-1 hour paid gig (Upper Marlboro)

Date: 2012-09-30, 4:25PM EDT
Reply to this post CausesAreUs@gmail.com

"NO TO QUESTION 7" GRASSROOTS RALLY

One day, 1.5 hour project. You will be a rally participant. Duties are to stand in crowd, clap, cheer, hold a sign and be on time. Children are welcome. No further commitment. Payment at end of the rally.

Serious inquiries and candidates only. Referral bonus added to your pay if you refer others who sign up and participate or come as a group of 3 or more.

Tuesday October 2, 2012  9:15 am to 10:30 am in Upper Marlboro. Bus transportation provided from some areas.

Apply by Monday, October 1st until 11:00 pm at CausesAreUs@gmail.com.

Causes Are Us represents many non-profit, entertainment, political, community events and causes. To continue being contacted for short term opportunities, send your name, email, 2 phone numbers and general availability to CausesAreUs@gmail.com.
Location: Upper Marlboro

Compensation: $25-45 per person
PostingID: 3307205468

Notably, the date and time mentioned in the ad above do indeed coincide with a "No to Question 7" rally being advertised in Prince George's County. See the rally advertisement below:

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT COALITION

“NO TO QUESTION 7” GRASSROOTS

A PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY COMMUNITY FAITH BASED INITIATIVE

4725 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, Maryland

240.350.4373

MEDIA ADVISORY
September 28, 2012
For Immediate Release

Contact: Melvin Forbes, President, Community Empowerment Coalition (CEC)

“No to Question 7” grassroots community rally press conference scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Tuesday October 2, 2012 at the County Administration Building, 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, 20772-3050.

Free Bus transportation will be provided departing 8:30 a.m. from 4725 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, Maryland. To ride this bus to voice your opposition to “Question 7” please R.S.V.P. CEC at 240.350.4374 by 3:00 p.m. Sunday September 30, 2012.

The Washington Post's John Wagner beat me to the punch writing up this unusual twist in the Question 7 saga. He contacted the event organizers, but of course, nobody is taking responsibility for the ad (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: ...the organizers claimed to have nothing to do with the ad — and no one else exactly stepped forward to take responsibility either....

MGM ACTIVATES ITS EMAIL LIST OF CUSTOMERS IN MARYLAND: Meanwhile, Question 7 supporters are also pulling out all the stops to get gambling expansion approved in Maryland. A Maryland Juice reader who happens to be on casino company MGM's email list forwarded us the following email blast. Hat tip: @NextGenPersuade. Our source included the following comment: "Thought this would interest you -- MGM just blasted their loyalty club list re Question 7. I'm not at all an active member, either." See the message below:

From: MGM Resorts International <lasvegas@hotel.mgmresorts.com>
Date: Mon, Oct 1, 2012 at 9:52 PM
Subject: A Special Message from MGM CEO, Jim Murren

October 1, 2012

Dear Juice, 

Thank you for your continued patronage of MGM Resorts International destinations. I hope you are enjoying the benefits of our M life membership and taking full advantage of all that it offers. 

Our Maryland M life members have an opportunity this November. As you probably are aware, the Maryland Legislature passed a bill that placed a referendum question on the ballot that allows for a sixth gaming site in Prince George’s County and table games, such as poker and blackjack, at all Maryland facilities. 

I hope you will consider voting FOR Question 7 this November. Expanding Maryland’s gaming industry will create 2,000 construction jobs, 4,000 permanent jobs, and 6,000 combined tourism and table game jobs. It will also generate hundreds of millions for education and keep Maryland competitive with West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware -- each year, Maryland loses over $500 million dollars to these neighboring states. 

If Question 7 passes, MGM Resorts International would bid to bring a world class destination resort facility to Maryland. We want Marylanders to experience the same type of multi-faceted, destination resort you enjoy when visiting our luxury resorts in Las Vegas with four star hotels, top entertainment and dining offerings, luxurious spas and high end retail. We are prepared to submit a bid to develop an $800 million resort at National Harbor. We feel we would bring new depth to the state’s current gaming offerings, which would attract new customers. 

This is an important issue at an important time for Maryland. We believe so strongly in this opportunity that we are opening an office at National Harbor so we can meet with the community and help voters understand all that a MGM destination resort can offer. We also want Marylanders to know what a good community partner MGM Resorts can be. 

We also encourage you to visit the coalition website: FOR Maryland Jobs and Schools:www.voteforseven.com, or click here to follow the coalition on Facebook or on Twitter.

Thanks for your time and, again, thank you for being a valued member of M life. 

Sincerely, 


Jim Murren 
Chairman and CEO 
MGM Resorts International 

Authorized by FOR Maryland Jobs & Schools, Inc, Tim O'Brien, Treasurer.

 MORE ON THE QUESTION 7 BATTLE SOON!

DIRECT MAIL: Two Mail Pieces Arrive on Same Day Urging "Vote Against" Gambling Expansion // READ ONLINE

If you live in Maryland, you are surely noticing the barrage of gambling related advertising hitting the airwaves and mailboxes. Yesterday, Maryland Juice received two direct mail pieces arguing for a "vote against" Question 7 (gambling expansion). See the mailers below:
DIRECT MAIL: Vote No on Question 7 - "Unemployed"

DIRECT MAIL: Vote No on Question 7 - "Loophole"

MOCO POLICY WAR: County Council Divided on Protections for Janitors // Chambers of Commerce & Rival Unions Weigh In

UPDATE: Montgomery County Council passes the displaced workers bill in a divided 5-4 vote. See the vote split below.

• Voting FOR: Valerie Ervin, Marc Elrich, Nancy Navarro, Hans Riemer & Craig Rice. 
• Voting AGAINST: Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal, Phil Andrews & Roger Berliner.
  

MOCO COUNCIL DEBATES WORKER PROTECTIONS FOR JANITORS - Today, the Montgomery County Council is scheduled to vote on legislation that would grant janitors and other low-wage service workers temporary protections in the event that their employer suddenly terminates their contract. Indeed, it is a common story to hear about janitors and other service workers whose lives are upended after their contracts are suddenly terminated. The proposed MoCo bill would simply provide a 90-day transitional period for the displaced janitors and service workers to stay employed while seeking new employment or transitioning to unemployment.

NOTE: Any workers (ie: bad employees) could still be fired for cause, and the provisions of the law are only temporary. This policy is the law in numerous bastions of "socialism" like D.C., New York, and Los Angeles. In fact, in 2010 the Obama administration created similar temporary protections for federal contractors.

VIDEOS: Out-of-State Casinos Launch War Over Gambling Expansion in Maryland // WATCH QUESTION 7 TV ADS

Maryland Juice has been following the heated debate over whether to expand gambling and add table games to Free State casinos. Indeed, this November Maryland voters will be asked to decide on the fate of gambling expansion through "Question 7" (a vote "FOR" would expand gambling, while a vote "AGAINST" would limit gambling to the currently approved slot machine sites). In an editorial piece, The Washington Post recently noted that the media war over the issue has already begun -- to the tune of millions of dollars in advertising by non-Maryland casino interests (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: A pitched TV ad war is underway in Maryland, pitting one out-of-state ­gaming-industry behemoth against another. At last count, the two firms had spent $15 million in the fight to influence voters, who will cast ballots in November on an expansion of gambling in Maryland that would authorize a sixth casino and add table games such as poker at all venues....

The main combatants — though the ads don’t name them — are Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts International and Pennsylvania-based Penn National Gaming. If voters approve the expansion, MGM has the inside track to build what could be an $800 million casino at National Harbor in Prince George’s County; unsurprisingly, it is behind the pro-expansion ads. Penn National is worried that the new casino would sap profits at its own marquee property 90 minutes away, Hollywood Casino in Charles Town, W.Va.; it has paid for the ads against expansion....

Copies of many of these advertisements are available online (Hat tip: Maryland's rightwing Monoblogue). I've included a few examples below, so that you can see what the propaganda looks like surrounding Question 7. The ads below are being promoted by the campaign websites for the casino operators (VoteForSeven.com and FactsOn7.com):

PRO-GAMBLING AD #1 URGING VOTE "FOR" QUESTION 7:

 
PRO-GAMBLING AD #2 URGING VOTE "FOR" QUESTION 7:

  ANTI-GAMBLING AD #1 URGING VOTE "AGAINST" QUESTION 7:        

Reflections on the Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks // Are American Civil Liberties & Pentagon Budget Restraint Toast?

PLUS: Maryland politicians fundraising on 9/11

UPDATE: The ACLU of Maryland warns that tomorrow Congress is scheduled to vote on an extension of police powers allowing the government to wiretap American's communications without a search warrant. Use the ACLU's online action tool to send an email to your members of Congress today.

ANOTHER DAY OF 9/11 REMEMBRANCE: Today marks another anniversary of the tragic 9/11/01 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Indeed, I nearly forgot about this new American milestone, until I woke up and started reading the news coverage and alerts streaming through my email inbox. Of course, most news outlets are running the ordinary tributes and commentary on the event itself, and the victims deserve their moment of remembrance. It is, after all, tough to forget the jarring emotional period in American civic life that many of us lived through. It is harder still to forget the tragic imagery from that day and how it continues to impact the American policy mindset (both positively and negatively)....

CD6 VIDEO: Roscoe Bartlett Airs 1st Negative TV Ad Against Democrat John Delaney // PLUS: Read Delaney's Response

BARTLETT THROWS FIRST PUNCH: Rep. Roscoe Bartlett has followed up on recent GOP attack mail against his opponent John Delaney, with a new negative TV ad against the Democratic challenger. The Washington Post's Ben Pershing reported on the context and content for the ad (excerpt below).

WASHINGTON POST: Bartlett’s TV ad, his first of the general election, takes aim at some of the companies that took loans from Capital Source....

“Delaney’s company owned nursing homes where Medicare inspectors found mistreatment of seniors, including failing to properly administer medication and failing to treat seniors with dignity and respect."

“Delaney’s company also backed a landfill that was shut down for illegally accepting thousands of tons of trash."

You can also watch the Roscoe Bartlett attack ad below:



John Delaney's campaign responded with the following press statement and rebuttals:

GUEST POST: Del. Doyle Niemann Slams Veterans Hall Gaming Law // Prince George's Official Says Slots Will Spread in MD

Delegate Doyle Niemann

Today Delegate Doyle Niemann, a Prince George's County Democrat, provided Maryland Juice with a lengthy criticism of Maryland's new gambling expansion law. In particular, he condemns a new provision allowing slot machines at neighborhood veterans halls. We print his response below, along a little bit of background on the new controversy.

BACKGROUND: Last Friday, Maryland Juice reported on a small but significant change to the State's new gambling expansion law that would allow slot machines at "veterans halls" sprinkled throughout Maryland. We feared that this particular gambling expansion provision would lead to neighborhood slot machine sites in numerous residential neighborhoods. In fact, the way the newly passed law is structured, veterans halls would get to operate slot machines -- whether or not the November gambling expansion referendum passes. Our piece generated a response from Del. Eric Luedtke of Montgomery County and Fred Nordham from the Prince George's Commission for Veterans. Both readers strongly challenged our characterization of the "neighborhood slots" expansion and insisted that the machines were different from slots and could not be used by those who were not members of the veterans halls.

Slot Machines in College Park, Easton & Frederick? // New Gambling Law Puts Neighborhood Slots at Veterans Halls

DOUBLE-UPDATE: Delegate Doyle Neimann of Prince George's County has provided Maryland Juice with a rebuttal of some of the points raised below by Fred Nordham and Delegate Eric Luedtke.

UPDATE: A few knowledgeable readers have sent in clarifications about the workings of the veterans hall slot machines. The added details may remove a few worries about the new law. First, the veterans halls with slot machines are not exactly open to the public. VFW and American Legion members and their guests can gamble at the facilities, but they do not appear to be open to non-members. It is unclear whether this is stipulated in Maryland's new gambling law, or whether this is simply a fact of how the veterans halls are organized. Additionally, the slot machines in the veterans halls will look like slot machines, but the technology for them is a bit different.

Below you can see the clarifications Maryland Juice received from Delegate Eric Luedtke (District 14 Democrat) and Fred Nordhorn from the Prince George's County Commission for Veterans:

DELEGATE ERIC LUEDTKE: Slot machines have been authorized in veterans halls in most eastern shore counties (including Talbot Co., which includes Easton) for about 20 years, so your mentioning Easton in the title of your post is probably not on target. Most people don't know that, largely because these foreign legion and VFW posts are members-only, therefore not open to the general public, therefore not 'neighborhood slots parlors'.

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!

ROLL CALL: Maryland House Ways & Means Committee Approves Casino Expansion // See How 2014 Candidates Voted

After the Maryland Senate approved a gambling expansion plan last week (see roll call at the bottom of this page), debate proceeded in the House of Delegates. According to an AP report on WBAL, yesterday the House Ways & Means committee approved an amended version of the bill to bring table games to Maryland and a new casino to Prince George's County. The House bill passed 13-7 and included expanded slot machine tax cuts for Anne Arundel and Baltimore casino owners upset at the potential new competition in Maryland.

Check out the AP's special session coverage at WBAL. They provided a House Ways & Means roll call, which we provide below, but we've made a note next to the names of some Delegates who are considering runs for statewide office in 2014.

MARYLAND HOUSE WAYS & MEANS GAMBLING VOTE ROLL CALL

Voting Yes
Sandy Rosenberg (D)
Kumar Barve (D) - POTENTIAL 2014 COMPTROLLER CANDIDATE
Talmadge Branch (D)
William Frick (D) - POTENTIAL 2014 ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATE
 Carolyn Howard (D)
Jolene Ivey (D)
Anne Kaiser (D)
Eric Luedtke (D)
Justin Ross (D)
Melvin Stukes (D)
Michael Summers (D)
Frank Turner (D)
Jay Walker (D)

Voting No
Kathy Afzali (R)
Joe Boteler (R)
Mark Fisher (R)
Ron George (R)
Glen Glass (R)
Aruna Miller (D)
Andrew Serafini (R)

Not Voting
Jon Cardin (D) - POTENTIAL 2014 ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATE
LeRoy Myers (R)
Sheila Hixson-Chairman (D)


The Maryland Senate has updated its website to include the full roll call vote on the gambling expansion bill:

FULL MARYLAND SENATE GAMBLING ROLL CALL VOTE

28 Yeas     14 Nays     2 Not Voting     0 Excused (Absent)     3 Absent

Voting Yea - 28

Mr. President

Getty

McFadden

Benson

Jennings

Middleton

Brinkley

Jones-Rodwell

Peters

Colburn

Kasemeyer

Pugh

Conway J

King

Robey

Currie

Klausmeier

Rosapepe

Edwards

Madaleno

Stone

Ferguson

Manno

Young

Forehand

Mathias

Zirkin

Garagiola

Voting Nay - 14

Brochin

Jacobs

Pipkin

DeGrange

Kittleman

Raskin

Dyson

Montgomery

Reilly

Frosh

Muse

Simonaire

Glassman

Pinsky

Not Voting - 2

Astle

Ramirez

Excused from Voting - 0

Excused (Absent) - 3

Gladden

Kelley

Shank