Wednesday, May 9, 2012
In an interview on ABC News, the president says he supports same-sex marriage. The issue is likely to go to referendum in Maryland this fall.
President Barack Obama picked the day after a decisive vote in North Carolina to announce that his "evolution" on the issue of same-sex marriage was complete—he now supports it. In an interview with ABC News on Wednesday, Obama said: I have to tell you that over the course of several years, as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors, when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage—at a …
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
A suit filed by Democratic Senators Delores Kelley and Jim Brochin says the plan violates the Maryland Constitution and protects the political voice of Baltimore City at the expense of Baltimore County.
UPDATED (1:13 p.m.)—Two Baltimore County state senators have filed suit in the state Court of Appeals seeking to overturn Maryland's recently enacted legislative redistricting plan. Democratic Senators Jim Brochin and Delores Kelley, in a suit filed Tuesday, claim the new districts violate the Maryland Constitution and a 2002 Court of Appeals ruling that governs redistricting. A copy of the lawsuit is attached to this story. The suit is one of four seeking to overturn Gov. Martin O'Malley's redistricting plan. At the heart of the 17-page complaint are allegations that the commission that redrew the state's 47 legislative districts unfairly protected the city's political power in Annapolis, while diluting the county's representation. "For …
Thursday, April 5, 2012
House of Delegates could take up a final vote on an amended bill as early as Friday.
The fate of a bill that creates a partially-elected school board in Baltimore County hangs on one vote that could come as early as Friday. Members of the county House delegation met Thursday afternoon moments after the full Senate approved an amended version of the bill that already passed the full House. The delegation voted 13-6 to concur with Senate amendments that changed the House bill from a fully-elected school board to a board with six elected and five appointed members.
Activists say it's easier to meet the state's standards for referendums than to petition a county law to the ballot.
A group of county activists wants to make it easier to petition county laws to the ballot and, ironically enough, the group's effort begins with a petition. Ann Miller, a Republican activist, is one of a number of volunteers who spent election day collecting signatures on a petition to change the Baltimore County Charter. If successful, the change to the County Charter would mean that voters seeking to challenge a law by referendum in the future would need to collect the signatures of less than 8,700 registered county voters to get an issue on the ballot. Miller and volunteers working with her are learning first-hand the difficulties in petitioning a county law to referendum as they attempt to collect enough signatures to overturn a …
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Check out the charts below for preliminary results in Tuesday's primary elections.
- ELECTIONS
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Tuesday, April 3
Sen. Ben Cardin easily won the Democratic primary Tuesday for U.S. Senate, far outpacing his closest challenger, state Sen. C. Anthony Muse of Prince George’s County. Cardin, 68, will run for his second term against the winner of the Republican primary—which, as of 10 p.m., was a tight race between candidates Dan Bogino and Richard J. Douglas. Incumbent candidates easily won their Congressional primaries throughout the state. Republican Rep. Andy Harris in District 1 and Democrat C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger in District 2 ran unopposed in their primary races. Republican state Sen. Nancy C. Jacobs of Harford County was winning her party's primary Tuesday and was the likely contender to take on Ruppersberger in November. It is unclear what …
Incumbents Cummings, Harris, Ruppersberger, and Sarbanes also lock up primary wins.
UPDATED (11:15 p.m.)— Mitt Romney has won the Maryland Republican presidential primary, according to multiple news outlets. At 11 p.m., Romney leads Rick Santorum 91,402 (48 percent) to 57,299 (30 percent) with 1,281 of 1,851 precincts reporting. "I voted for Romney, he's the lesser of the evils," said Lisa Watts of Darnestown, MD. Chuck Duvall also of Darnestown, said he voted for Ron Paul, but expected Romney to win the Maryland primary. Both he and his wife, Ruth, said they planned to support Romney against Democratic incumbent President Barack Obama even though he wasn't their primary selection. A Romney win in Maryland was not unexpected. CNN declared Romney the winner at 8 p.m. when polls in Maryland and Washington closed. “Maryland’…
Community members explained who they voted for and why.
Light voter turnout meant polls were largely line-free around Perry Hall on Primary Election Day, election judges told Patch. By 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, two polls inside Perry Hall High School had seen a total of just over 250 voters—in the school's cafeteria, precinct 11-12, 174 votes were cast, and in the school's library, precinct 11-18, 79 votes were cast. The proportion of Republican voters slightly outweighed Democrats, according to election judges. "I've worked the polls for more than 25 years, and this is the lightest I've seen. I attribute that mostly to spring break and early voting," said County Councilman David Marks. Marks campaigned outside the high school on behalf of Republican State Sen. Nancy Jacobs, who is competing in …
A first-time voter explains her pick for president.
Darlene Roland, 18, voted for the first time on Tuesday. But instead of returning home after voting at Gunpowder Elementary, she went to Perry Hall High School to show her support for Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul. The Perry Hall senior was joined by her father, Jon Roland, a popular physics teacher at the high school. Paul, who recently campaigned at the University of Maryland, College Park, is projected to come in fourth place behind other fellow presidential candidates in Maryland. Sitting in the grass with their homemade signs and banner, the father, daughter pair explained why they support Paul. Watch the video to hear their answers. Are young people more or less involved in politics than in past elections? Tell us …
Perry Hall residents will hit the polls this Primary Election Day.
What's today's hottest fashion accessory? Civic engagement—obviously. I snapped this photo of myself wearing my "I Voted" sticker just after casting my ballot at Gunpowder Elementary School. Consider adding a photo of you and your sticker here on Patch, as well. Not sure where to vote and who's on your ballot? Check out our article, Where Perry Hall Goes to Vote. Happy Primary Election Day! Tell us where you voted and who you voted for in the comments.
Find your polling place and check out who's on your ballot.
Today is Primary Election Day and there's still plenty of time for registered voters to hit the polls. Where do you go to vote and how do you know who's on your ballot? Remember, because this is a primary election, only Republicans and Democrats may vote for fellow party members. The big races are for President, senator, congressional representative for District 1 and 2 and judge of the Circuit Court. The easiest way to find your polling place is by plugging your address into the Maryland Elections Center website, provided by the University of Maryland College Park. This website also provides a sample ballot. But if you read Perry Hall Patch, you probably live in Baltimore County Election District 11, which includes all of Perry Hall and…
Carol
11:31 am on Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Right on! Escariot, you forgot a couple remember the hundreds of thousands dollars for those trips, the vacation Mrs. O and her friends and family took, the fly over New York City. What a waist of our money. I guess they want to make sure theres nothing left for the next Pres. Fast and Furious is number one who is going to pay for this mans life, his blood is on all those that were involved in … more ›